Vol. 537 No. 5
409 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of the 27 non-national planners identified by the FÁS Jobs Ireland Campaign who have been offered jobs by the Dublin local authorities; and the number who have accepted. [17202/01]
On foot of a request by the Local Government Management Services Board, which has been given responsibility for management of the recruitment initiative on behalf of local authorities, 24 of the 27 planners recruited from abroad were assigned to 14 county councils and county borough corporations. The remaining three were assigned to An Bord Pleanála. The four Dublin local authorities indicated that they would offer positions to nine of them on a contract basis. Local authorities generally are now making arrangements for their appointment on a two year contract basis. So far three of the nine planners have indicated that they will take up positions on the basis of the offers made to them.
A significant additional number of applications have been submitted from abroad for positions as planners in the local authority sector in Ireland. Around 50 of these applicants have been shortlisted and arrangements are being made to interview them shortly.
An advertisement was also lodged with the EU Official Journal on 5 June seeking proposals from suitable companies to source qualified construction professionals from outside Ireland, including planners, engineers, architects, quantity surveyors and technicians, to work in the local authority sector on a contract basis.
