Under the Government's decentralisation programme announced in 2003, 125 posts attached to the Development Cooperation Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs were to decentralise to Limerick. The Division is the Headquarters of Irish Aid.
Following sanction of an additional 20 posts by the Department of Finance in 2005, the total number of posts attached to Irish Aid Headquarters increased to 145. Of these, 138 are decentralising and 112 have now moved into the new permanent Headquarters building in Limerick. The remaining posts are expected to be filled before the end of the year.
Of the 108 staff assigned to Irish Aid at the time decentralisation was announced, 18.5%, or 20 officials, were transferred to other areas of the Department or to other Departments as a direct result of decentralisation. It is in the nature of the work of the Department that staff transfer between Divisions at HQ, and indeed to Embassies abroad, on a regular basis. This routine rotation accounts for the balance of the staff transfers from Irish Aid.
The following table gives details of staff moves.
Decentralisation of Irish Aid to Limerick as at 10 November 2008
|
|
Grade Breakdown
|
|
|
Number of staff decentralised from Dublin
|
84
|
Assistant Secretary
|
1
|
|
|
Counsellor/Principal Officer
|
7
|
|
|
First Secretary
|
11
|
|
|
Assistant Principal
|
10
|
|
|
Higher Executive Officer
|
6
|
|
|
Third Secretary
|
5
|
|
|
Executive Officer
|
8
|
|
|
Staff Officer
|
2
|
|
|
Clerical Officer
|
16
|
|
|
Services Officer
|
2
|
|
|
Financial Controller
|
1
|
|
|
Accountant
|
1
|
|
|
Specialists
|
14
|
|
Number of staff who decentralised from
|
28
|
Assistant Secretary
|
0
|
|
outside Dublin
|
|
Counsellor/Principal Officer
|
2
|
|
|
First Secretary
|
0
|
|
|
Assistant Principal
|
4
|
|
|
Higher Executive Officer
|
6
|
|
Number of staff who decentralised from
|
|
Third Secretary
|
0
|
|
outside Dublin—contd.
|
|
Executive Officer
|
7
|
|
|
Staff Officer
|
0
|
|
|
Clerical Officer
|
9
|
|
|
Services Officer
|
0
|
|
|
Financial Controller
|
0
|
|
|
Accountant
|
0
|
|
|
Specialists
|
0
|
|
Total who decentralised from Dublin and outside Dublin
|
112
|
|
|
|
Number of staff who have opted to remain
|
18
|
Assistant Principal
|
4
|
|
in Dublin
|
|
Higher Executive Officer
|
7
|
|
|
Executive Officer
|
3
|
|
|
Clerical Officer
|
4
|
|
Number of staff who have moved to another Department or agency in Dublin
|
2
|
Assistant Principal
|
2
|
|
Total who have remained or transferred within Dublin
|
20
|
|
|
