Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 8 Dec 1998

Vol. 498 No. 1

Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.

John McGuinness

Ceist:

296 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if there is a list of applicants at clerical officer level within his Department who wish to locate in County Kilkenny; the way in which this list is prioritised; the number of transfers granted from the list to County Kilkenny; if the list will be depleted in view of the new decentralised offices in Kilkenny; his views on the present system; and the changes, if any, planned in this regard. [26647/98]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

My Department maintains lists of clerical officers from all areas of the Civil Service who have applied for transfer to those provincial locations in which there are clerical posts, including Kilkenny. Applicants are considered for transfer in the order in which their applications to a particular location were received in the Department.

At present my Department is in the process of filling a clerical post in Kilkenny from the transfer list. That is the only post that has arisen for filling in Kilkenny this year.

The policy on transfers of clerical civil servants is governed by centrally agreed arrangements between the Department of Finance and the relevant staff union. Consequently any changes in these arrangements would be a matter for the Minister for Finance.