I propose to take Questions Nos. 617 and 618 together.
There are two Divisions within my Department which deal specifically with Housing issues; the Housing Policy, Legislation and Governance Division and the Housing Delivery Division. Both Divisions are managed by an Assistant Secretary General.
The Housing Delivery Division supports a significant number of actions under the Government's Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness - Rebuilding Ireland . This includes Homelessness and Social Inclusion Supports, Traveller Accommodation, Affordability and Cost Rental, the oversight and management of the Social Housing Capital and Current Programmes. The Division is also responsible for implementation and management of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS).
The Division currently has a staffing complement of 144 which is set out by grade in the following table.
Grade
|
Number
|
Assistant Secretary General
|
1
|
Principal Officer
|
7
|
Principal Adviser
|
1
|
Senior Adviser
|
4
|
Assistant Principal
|
25
|
Architectural Advisor
|
5
|
Quantity Surveyor Grade 1
|
5
|
Supervising Housing Inspector
|
2
|
Architectural Engineering Inspector
|
10
|
Higher Executive Officer
|
21
|
Administrative Officer
|
6
|
Executive Officer
|
38
|
Clerical Officer
|
19
|
The Housing Policy, Legislation and Governance Division develops policy and legislation in relation to Housing generally and also in relation to the rental market. In addition, the Division is responsible for the development of funding mechanisms and the development of policy and regulation for Approved Housing Bodies.
The Division currently has a staffing complement of 42 which is set out by grade in the following table.
Grade
|
Number
|
Assistant Secretary General
|
1
|
Principal Officer
|
5
|
Assistant Principal
|
13
|
Higher Executive Officer
|
9
|
Executive Officer
|
7
|
Clerical Officer
|
5
|
TOTAL
|
40
|
The Housing Divisions also have close ties to the Planning Division and provide extensive support on a number of critical construction related issues, such as cost of construction, viability of apartment buildings and productivity in the building industry generally, including the impact of Brexit. It should also be noted that the Housing Divisions work closely with the Water and Local Government divisions in respect of the provision of services and the implementation of Government's housing policies.
As part of its recruitment practices, my Department endeavours to assign staff to the most appropriate business units based on their skills, qualifications and experience. Many of our professional and technical staff - and some of our administrative staff - have experience in the Local Authority sector as well as the broader housing sector and industry. However, specific information in respect of individuals' experience in front line organisations in the housing and homelessness sectors is not readily available.