I propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 249 together.
At the end of 2008 the number of senior staff serving in my Department was as follows:
Senior Staff
|
Nos.
|
Secretary General Finance
|
1.00
|
Secretary General PSMD
|
1.00
|
Second Secretary
|
3.00
|
Assistant Secretary
|
14.00
|
Principal
|
56.50
|
Since 2008 my Department has changed its organisational structure and its deployment of staff in response to recent events in the economy and the financial system. It has demonstrated considerable flexibility in dealing with these issues.
A Resource and Priority Review for the Department was recently undertaken by the Management Advisory Committee (MAC). Our objectives and resources are reviewed on an on-going basis and the context of this review was the significant block of work reflected in the Department, business plans, particularly, as we draw to the end of the Presidency and move into the earlier budgetary cycle this year and the parallel development of the Economic Plan present a perfect time to undertake this Resource and Priority Review. The intention is to have a further planning review of resources and priorities towards the end of this year in preparation for 2014.