Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 8 Dec 1998

Vol. 498 No. 1

Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.

John McGuinness

Ceist:

331 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform 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. [26644/98]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I can confirm that my Department maintains transfer lists for clerical officers who wish to transfer to County Kilkenny.

The general position in relation to transfers to provincial areas operated by my Department is that they are arranged in accordance with the standardised transfer system which has been agreed with the Civil and Public Service Union and which applies to all Government Departments and offices.

The agreement provides that applications for transfers are recorded in order of the date of receipt of each application. When vacancies arise they must then be offered in this order. However, in the event that an officer's parent Department may not be in a position to release him/her it may be necessary to go to the next officer on the transfer list.

I should also mention that my Department is very supportive of the policy of decentralisation and is prepared to release officers selected for transfer under the terms of such schemes.

I am only aware of one transfer to County Kilkenny granted in the clerical officer grade since 1 January 1998. While it is assumed that the decentralisation of the Patents Office of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will undoubtedly impact on the transfer lists for clerical officers for that particular location I am not in a position at this time to estimate whether it will result in the depletion of the lists held by my Department.

With regard to the operation of the transfer lists for clerical officers generally I am satisfied with the system in place. Any changes to that system would need to be negotiated under General Council within the Scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration for the Civil Service.