Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.
Noel Ahern
Ceist:
88
Mr. N. Ahern
asked the
Minister for Finance
the number of appointments of manual grade operatives, for example, service officers, attendants, cleaners or other general category of this nature in his Department, or agencies under his Department's direct control, during the past four years; the number who applied for these positions; the number interviewed for each position; the salary levels for these jobs; his views on the number, experience and quality of these applicants; and whether the keen competition for these posts indicates that there is no shortage of available workers in the economy.
[26565/99]
In my Department over the past four years, the position in relation to the recruitment of services officers and services attendants has been as follows:
Seven applicants; two appointments made as services officer, one appointment made as services attendant; record of numbers interviewed not available. 1997, 26 applicants; no interviews in 1997; no appointments made. 1998, 20 further applicants; nine interviewed; two appointments made as services officer; panel formed for future appointments. 1999, Two appointments made from panel formed in 1998; 27 further applicants; no interviews held, as panel in place.
The cleaning service in my Department is provided under contract arrangements. Tenders for the contract are invited every two years. I am satisfied that the number and standard of candidates presenting themselves for interview is satisfactory. The position in relation to recruitment to these and similar posts in offices under my aegis are as follows:
Civil Service Commission. 1998, 12 applicants for services attendant; nine interviewed; no appointments made to date. 1999,17 applicants for services officer; seven interviewed; one appointment made.
Office of the Ombudsman. 1998, 18 applicants for services officer; nine interviewed; one appointment made.
Office of Public Works. Over the four year period, there were 26 applicants for services officer, nine for services attendant and 14 for cleaner. One appointment was made, in 1996, to the grade of cleaner. It was not possible in the time available to compile the information sought in respect of industrial grades, as a significant amount of research is required. The Office of Public Works have commenced compiling the information and they will forward it directly to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
Office of the Revenue Commissioners Athlone. 1996, 43 applicants for services attendant; 23 interviewed; one appointment made.
Cork. 1996, 38 applicants for services officer; 33 interviewed; five appointments made during 1996-97, 1998, 30 applicants for services officer; 19 interviewed; one appointment made.
Dublin. 1996, 46 applicants for services attendant; 32 interviewed; four appointments made. 1997,28 applicants for services attendant; 19 interviewed; five appointments made during 1997-98. 1999,95 applicants for services attendant; 37 interviewed; one appointment made.
Ennis. 1997,24 applicants for services attendant; 18 interviewed; one appointment made.
Limerick. 1998, 23 applicants for services attendant; 16 interviewed; one appointment made.
Rosslare. 1997, 36 applicants for services officer; 22 interviewed; two appointments made. 1999, 13 applicants for services officer; 12 interviewed; one appointment imminent.
Sligo. 1998, 19 applicants for services officer; 17 interviewed; one appointment made.
Tralee. 1999, 39 applicants for services attendant; 30 interviewed; one appointment made.
Wexford. 1998, 30 applicants for services officer; 23 interviewed; one appointment made.
The numbers outlined for those interviewed for positions in the Office of the Revenue Commissioners represent the numbers who actually attended for interview; all applicants were invited to attend for interview.
Ordnance Survey. 1999, 17 applicants for storeman; nine interviewed; one appointment made.
State Laboratory. 1996, 21 candidates selected by FÁS were invited for interview for laboratory attendant; two appointments were made early in 1997.
Valuation Office. 1999, 16 applicants for cleaner; three interviewed; one appointment made.
Pay Rates
The current weekly rates of pay for the relevant grades are as follows with effect from 1 July 1999:
Services Officer £171.62 (under 19) – 179.51 (at 19) – 193.08 (at 20 or over) – 202.10 – 210.00 – 217.90 – 223.54 – 230.31 – 241.95, rising to £250.16 after three years' satisfactory service on the maximum, and to £259.57 after six years' satisfactory service on the maximum.
Services Attendant £171.62 (under 19) – 179.51 (at 19) – 193.08 (at 20 or over) – 196.45 – 203.23 – 211.13 – 221.29 – 229.20 – 238.90, rising to £246.85 after three years' satisfactory service on the maximum, and to £256.16 after six years' satisfactory service on the maximum.
Cleaner £171.62 (under 19) – 177.26 (at 19) – 182.91 (at 20 or over) – 191.94 – 201.29, rising to £207.00 after three years' satisfactory service on the maximum, and to £215.85 after six years' satisfactory service on the maximum.
Storeman (Ordnance Survey) £202.12 – 221.38 – 234.66 – 241.31 – 250.16 – 256.58, rising to £265.41 after three years' satisfactory service on the maximum, and to £275.52 after six years' satisfactory service on the maximum.
Laboratory Attendant (State Laboratory) £180.65 – 192.53 – 202..75 – 216.72 – 233.04 – 242.34 – 248.17 – 254.00 – 260.61, rising to £269.47 after three years' satisfactory service on the maximum, and to £279.61 after six years' satisfactory service on the maximum.
A national survey of vacancies in almost 1,100 firms in private sector manufacturing and services carried out by the ESRI in Autumn 1998 for FÁS and Forfás indicated that there was a strong upward trend in the vacancy rate for the manufacturing sector and that this was probably the case also for the services sector. The survey found that as the demand for labour increases employees have a wide range of job opportunities from which to choose. Consequently, firms may experience difficulties retaining staff as well as gaining new recruits. With the exception of clerical jobs the occupations for which it was most difficult to retain staff were in skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled positions whereas the jobs for which it was most difficult to recruit were in intermediate and highly skilled positions. This upward trend in vacancies is likely to have continued since autumn 1998 given the strength of the economy and employment growth – the unemployment rate has fallen from 6.5% in November 1998 to 5.1% in November 1999.
