Mary Lou McDonald
Question:1303. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of men and women, respectively, in his Department who hold posts (details supplied). [37077/17]
View answerMonday, 11 September 2017
Questions (1303)
Written answers
My Department has 184 staff who hold posts at Secretary General, Assistant Secretary, Principal and Assistant Principal level. The current gender breakdown for these grades is as follows:
Assistant Principal (AP) - 63 Women and 73 Men
Principal Officer (PO) - 15 Women and 24 Men
Assistant Secretary (A. Sec) - 2 Women and 6 Men
Secretary General - 1 Man
However, due to the nature of the work carried out within my Department, our business needs are complex and require a variety of specialised skills. In addition to the general administrative grades, a number of professional, scientific and technical staff also work in my Department and undertake different roles. The diverse mandate of DAFM and the requirement for specialised roles require a broad range of staff with many different skill sets. Some of these roles are highly specialised, making grade comparisons difficult. Salary, competencies and role requirements are the main issues considered when assessing approximate equivalence. There are specialised professional and technical staff operating at equivalent levels to AP, PO and Assistant Secretary across my Department.