Patrick J. Morley
Ceist:17 Mr. Morley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the number of staff employed in Davitt House on 1 March 1994, and on 1 March 1995; and the duties assigned to the additional personnel. [8818/95]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Departmental Staff.
The number of staff employed by my Department in Michael Davitt House, Castlebar, on 1 March 1994 and 1 March 1995, was 163 and 174 respectively.
During the period in question a total of 11 additional administrative and technical staff were deployed primarily on livestock payments works.
Since 1992, staff levels in Michael Davitt House have increased by almost 40 people from 137 to the present level. As part of my commitment to improve services to farmers I propose to further increase staff to approximately 180 during the current year.
Get rid of all the schemes.
I am sure the Deputy is pleased with the reply. The increased staff numbers have put pressure on the space in the office and I have secured a committment from the Office of Public Works that additional space will be provided.
Are these extra staff being allocated from within the Department of Agriculture or new recruits to the public service?
There is a combination. Some are temporary staff being made permanent and some are additional staff. None is being recruited from other Departments.
Is the Minister aware that in 1988-89 the former Minister for Agriculture, Mr. MacSharry, borrowed £100 million from the Central Bank to slim down the public service and that in the intervening period all the positions which were vacated have been filled? Will he agree that the £100 million might as well have been thrown in the fire for all the good it did? Is he seriously saying that it is a matter of pleasure to report that he has more staff carrying out the Department's functions this year than last?
My priority is to provide for farmers the best and speediest service with the smoothest administration. That is a personal priority of mine and I intend to honour it.
Is it a Government priority?
If extra staff are needed for this, so be it. In terms of the economic situation, there is no doubt that shortage of staff was one of the reasons we faced such difficulty on the EU fine for disallowance. At present my Department gives £750 million to farmers through premia and headage schemes. I do not want my successor to be faced with horrendous fines because we have inadequate staffing to deal with the administration of premia and headage payments, which is always a possibility. I am striving to achieve the appropriate level of staff, technology and office accommodation and to give the best value for money from those resources.