In the earlier part of the 2012-2016 period my Department, as with all others, was subject to the Employment Control Framework and Moratorium on recruitment as a means of reducing the overall Government pay bill. Therefore, with some exceptions to the Moratorium under which the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform granted sanction to fill particular posts over this time, the thrust of policy was to reduce the numbers employed in the Department and our Agencies until the Moratorium and ECF were lifted in the October 2014 Budget after which the Department and our Agencies now organise our staffing levels in line with pay-budget limits.
In relation to the number of staff hired by the Department between 2012 and 2016 the following table sets out the position:
|
Year
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
|
New “hires”
|
14
|
33
|
59
|
33
|
75
|
|
Total number of staff
|
843
|
857
|
854
|
848
|
857
|
In interpreting these figures, it is important to appreciate that the increase in numbers in 2013 was primarily due to the transfer of functions from the Equality Tribunal from the Department of Justice and Equality, whereas for 2014 it was primarily as a result of the dissolution of Forfás which was integrated into the Department. Also, there would have been a number of exits through retirement, promotion, resignations and so on such that the total number of staff employed in the Department at year end in each year has been given to show how staffing levels have been relatively stable in recent years after the earlier period of downsizing under the various employment control measures introduced from 2008.
Insofar as the number of staff in each of the Agencies under my Department’s remit from 2012 to 2016 is concerned the tables that follow set out the staffing position in each case in the years in question.
Competition and Consumer Protection Commission
|
Year
|
No of Staff at 1st Jan
|
No of staff requested
|
No hired
|
|
2012
|
39+42**
|
2+10
|
6
|
|
2013
|
42+37**
|
1
|
1
|
|
2014
|
84.5
|
3
|
0
|
|
2015
|
83.5
|
26
|
9
|
|
2016
|
83.6
|
14
|
32
|
*hired staff may also relate to replacing staff as opposed to increasing the staff complement
**The Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency merged in 2014. The staffing figures for 2012 and 2013 are included in the table.
Enterprise Ireland
|
Year
|
No of Staff at 1st Jan
|
No of staff requested
|
No hired
|
|
2012
|
719.5
|
12
|
10
|
|
2013
|
666.5
|
22[1]
|
22
|
|
2014
|
648.5
|
21[2]
|
21
|
|
2015
|
631
|
19
|
19
|
|
2016
|
536
|
39[3]
|
Recruitment Ongoing
|
*hired staff may also relate to replacing staff as opposed to increasing the staff complement
Health and Safety Authority
|
Year
|
No of Staff at 1st Jan
|
No of staff requested
|
No hired
|
|
2012
|
177.2
|
3
|
0
|
|
2013
|
170
|
0
|
0
|
|
2014
|
162.4
|
4
|
1
|
|
2015
|
167.1*
|
4
|
3
|
|
2016
|
166.2
|
12
|
6
|
*hired staff may also relate to replacing staff as opposed to increasing the staff complement
Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority
|
Year
|
No of Staff at 1st Jan
|
No of staff requested
|
No hired
|
|
2012
|
14
|
0
|
0
|
|
2013
|
13
|
0
|
1
|
|
2014
|
13
|
11
|
0
|
|
2015
|
13
|
1
|
5
|
|
2016
|
17
|
17
|
4
|
*hired staff may also relate to replacing staff as opposed to increasing the staff complement
IDA
|
Year
|
No of Staff at 1st Jan
|
No of staff requested
|
No hired
|
|
2012
|
255
|
19
|
19
|
|
2013
|
254
|
16
|
16
|
|
2014
|
282
|
54
|
54
|
|
2015
|
262
|
38
|
38
|
|
2016
|
265
|
99**
|
50
|
*hired staff may also relate to replacing staff as opposed to increasing the staff complement
**includes proposal for the retention of 35 “Winning Abroad” contract staff which has yet to be sanctioned
National Standards Authority of Ireland
|
Year
|
No of Staff at 1st Jan
|
No of staff requested
|
No hired
|
|
2012
|
132
|
0
|
0
|
|
2013
|
132
|
3
|
0
|
|
2014
|
132
|
1
|
1
|
|
2015
|
133
|
8
|
2
|
|
2016
|
130
|
3
|
7
|
*hired staff may also relate to replacing staff as opposed to increasing the staff complement
In addition NSAI Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NSAI located in Nashua, New Hampshire, USA, has a headcount of 15 who are paid from NSAI’s Own Resource Income.
Personal Injuries Assessment Board
|
Year
|
No of Staff at 1st Jan
|
No of staff requested
|
No hired
|
|
2012
|
66
|
14
|
1
|
|
2013
|
66
|
14
|
1
|
|
2014
|
67
|
13
|
0
|
|
2015
|
67
|
13
|
2
|
|
2016
|
66
|
14
|
16
|
*hired staff may also relate to replacing staff as opposed to increasing the staff complement
Science Foundation Ireland
|
Year
|
No of Staff at 1st Jan
|
No of staff requested
|
No hired
|
|
2012
|
48
|
2
|
1
|
|
2013
|
49
|
1
|
1
|
|
2014
|
49
|
3
|
3
|
|
2015
|
49
|
3
|
3
|
|
2016
|
49
|
1
|
1
|
*hired staff may also relate to replacing staff as opposed to increasing the staff complement
Forfas
|
Year
|
No of Staff at 1st Jan
|
No of staff requested
|
No hired
|
|
2012
|
110
|
2
|
2
|
|
2013
|
91
|
0
|
0
|
|
2014
|
75
|
0
|
0
|
Forfás was dissolved in 2014 and its functions merged into my Department
CEBs
|
Year
|
No of Staff at 1st Jan
|
No of staff requested
|
No hired
|
|
2012
|
121
|
2
|
2
|
|
2013
|
128
|
6
|
0
|
|
2014
|
126
|
0
|
0
|
The CEBs were dissolved in 2014 and their functions were transferred to the Local Enterprise Offices which are under the aegis of the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government
Staffing levels for InterTrade Ireland have not been included since it is a Cross-Border Body funded by the Department of Jobs Enterprise & Innovation in Dublin and the Department for the Economy in Belfast so is not generally considered a “State Agency” in the traditional sense.
[1] Includes 20 posts sanctioned for local overseas recruitment
[2] Posts sanctioned as part of overall approval of Enterprise Ireland’s Voluntary Leaving Programme
[3] Posts sanctioned as part of Enterprise Ireland's strategic response to Brexit
