I propose to take Questions Nos. 970 and 971 together.
The moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public service was introduced in March 2009 in response to the financial crisis. My Department operates a delegated sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for implementation of the moratorium in relation to local authorities, and any exceptions to the moratorium in local authorities require sanction from my Department.
Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible , including where shared services is concerned. In this regard, it is a matter for Chief Executives, in the first instance, to ensure that the moratorium is implemented while the appropriate service levels are maintained.
My Department examines all staffing sanction requests on a case by case basis having due regard to the continued delivery of key services in the context of staffing and budgetary constraints. In considering sanction requests, public safety, maintaining key front line services, shared services and economic issues are given precedence.
Posts up to and including Grade 7 may be filled from within the local authority sector in accordance with the Redeployment Scheme. Only employees declared as a surplus are releasable under the terms of the scheme. Each local authority manages the redeployment process for the filling of their vacancies.
The Redeployment scheme equally applies to sanctioned vacancies for the shared services projects and this process is managed by the lead authority responsible for the shared service.