Matt Carthy
Question:1. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the Munich Security Conference. [10969/24]
View answerTaoiseach's Meetings and Engagements
Questions (1)
Written answers
I attended the 60th meeting of the Munich Security Conference, a leading forum for the discussion of security and defence issues, from 16 – 17 February.
I participated in a panel discussion on neutrality where I set out the value of Ireland’s military neutrality in a world of increased geo-political insecurity, including new cyber and hybrid threats. I also highlighted the work of the recent Consultative Forum on International Security Policy.
I spoke about how our focus on diplomacy, peacekeeping, and international development can contribute to European and international security.
I also had a series of bilateral meetings including with King Abdullah II of Jordan, Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria Mariya Gabriel, UK Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, and a delegation from the ‘Elders’ group led by former President Mary Robinson.
Both in public events at the Conference and in my bilateral meetings there was widespread concern at the direction of developments, including Russia’s war on Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, especially in Gaza, and prospects for global security in light of the large number of elections that will be held this year.
In my meeting with Labour Party Leader, Keir Starmer, we both welcomed the restoration of the Executive and Assembly in Belfast and looked forward to the meetings of North South Ministerial Council as well as the East-West bodies.
Departmental Staff
Questions (2)
Carol Nolan
Question:2. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Taoiseach to clarify the number of redundancies, or so called ‘exit-packages’, that have been paid to staff or personnel at any level of seniority in her Department, or in any agency or body under the aegis of her Department, from 2018 to date; the value of each and the total value, in tabular form. [10994/24]
View answerWritten answers
All lump sum payments to civil servants retiring from the Department of the Taoiseach are paid from Vote 12 Superannuation and Retired Allowances overseen by the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform subject to normal eligibility requirements.
No discretionary exit payments have been made to staff in the Department or the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), which is the only body under the aegis of the Department. In 2019, an ex-gratia payment of €50,000 was made to a former employee of that body under a legal settlement which was sanctioned by the Department of Finance and disclosed in the 2019 Financial Statement of NESDO which is published on NESC.ie as part of their Annual Report.
Ministerial personal staff employed on temporary contracts are entitled to severance/ex-gratia payments, including statutory redundancy, when such contracts are terminated, which is mainly following a change of Government. The severance terms are set out by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and are based on salary, aligned to civil service pay scales, and years’ service. All such severance/ex-gratia payments under these terms are calculated and paid out by the National Shared Services Office and set out each year in the Department’s Appropriation Account and published by the Comptroller and Auditor General - details set out in the table below. Details for the 2023 Appropriation Account are currently being finalised.
|
Year |
Total amount |
No. of people |
|
2016 |
€76,522 |
3 |
|
2017 |
€445,188 |
10 |
|
2018 |
€230,674 |
2 |
|
2019 |
€29,829 |
1 |
|
2020 |
€322,991 |
11 |
|
2021 |
€195,378 |
3 |
|
2022 |
€29,829 |
1 |