Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2005
251 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the assessment carried out to date of the proposed decentralisation of the section dealing with development co-operation; the cost savings that are projected to be made; the percentage of existing staff in specialist and in non-specialist grades who have indicated a desire to move; and the risk factors identified in the assessment. [17838/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Government's decentralisation programme, announced in December 2003, the development co-operation directorate of the Department of Foreign Affairs, currently based in Dublin, is scheduled to decentralise to Limerick. This will involve the relocation of 123 posts and is scheduled to take place during the first quarter of 2007. Details of applications received for the posts in question, excluding applications from civil servants already serving in Limerick, are set out in the table which follows.
The Department is working closely with the Office of Public Works to identify suitable accommodation for the directorate in Limerick and it is hoped to select a premises in the near future. Pending that, it is not possible to estimate savings or additional costs.
The various issues arising from the Government decision, both for the Department in general and for the development co-operation directorate in particular, are considered in the Department's decentralisation implementation plan. Risk analysis carried out by the directorate in this context has identified several risk factors, for which appropriate risk mitigation strategies are being implemented: These are: financial, including accountability and control; human resources, including loss of expertise and institutional memory communications between the directorate and internal and external stakeholders; and associated operational and reputational risks The implementation plan, which has been published on the Department's website, www.dfa.ie, was recently revised to take account of the decision to include the directorate among the early movers.
|
Specialist Grades |
No. of posts advertised on the CAF |
Number of applications from within the Directorate |
DCD applications as a percentage of total posts |
Applications from elsewhere in the Department |
Applications received via the CAF by 7 Sept. 2004 |
Applications received via the CAF since 7 Sept. 2004 |
Total received to date |
|
% |
|||||||
|
Principal Development Specialist |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Senior Development Specialist |
12 |
2 |
17 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
Development Specialist |
9 |
9 (Note 1) |
100 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
|
Financial Controller |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Non Specialist Grades |
|||||||
|
Counsellor/Principal Officer |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
6 |
|
First Secretary/Assistant Principal Officer |
19 |
3 |
16 |
0 |
12 |
6 |
21 |
|
Higher Executive Officer/ Administrative Officer |
14 |
1 |
7 |
1 |
25 |
1 |
28 |
|
Third Secretary |
4 |
2 |
50 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
|
Executive Officer |
16 |
3 |
19 |
3 |
23 |
8 |
37 |
|
Staff Officer |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
4 |
|
Clerical Officer |
33 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
19 |
3 |
27 |
|
Services Officer |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Totals |
123 |
21 |
17 |
12 |
86 |
20 |
139 |
Note 1: Figure for applications from within development co-operation directorate includes development specialists employed since the announcement of decentralisation and whose contracts specify that the posts are being relocated to Limerick.
Note 2: It should be noted that the table only includes details of first preference applications. Now that details of the early movers are available, all applicants will be given an opportunity to amend their first preferences.
Note 3: The table excludes, inter alia, applications from public service employees whose grade equivalency remains to be clarified.
