Departmental Staff Redeployment

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2012

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

Ceisteanna (148)

Mary Lou McDonald

Ceist:

148. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach the number of staff members that have been temporarily and or permanently redeployed to his Department from other Government Departments or agencies since 27 March 2009; the details of the grades and pay scales involved; the total increase in salary payments for his Department in respect of the persons concerned; the duration of assignments; the area to which each person was assigned; the business reasons supporting the redeployment of staff, details of sanction received from the Department of Finance and or Public Expenditure and Reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47236/12]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

Arising from the commitment in the Programme for Government a new EU Co-ordination Division was established in my Department with personnel from my Department’s existing EU and International Division and 20 staff from the EU Affairs Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, comprising 11 staff who were permanently redeployed to my Department and 9 staff who were temporarily seconded.

The breakdown in grades of those redeployed is one Assistant Principal Officer, four Executive Offices and six Clerical Officers. Two Counsellors, three First Secretaries and four Third Secretaries were temporarily seconded. The duration of their secondments will be in keeping with the usual policy of secondments of diplomatic staff employed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The annual increase in the salary costs for my Department arising from these redeployment and secondments is €1,078,313.

Details of the permanent redeployments to my Department since 27 March 2009, are set out at Table 1 while Table 2 contains details of the temporary redeployments/secondments to my Department. Each redeployment filled a vacancy which was considered essential to ensure the Department continues to meet its ongoing objectives. The total annual cost arising from these redeployments is €546,401. The usual arrangements for Department of Public Expenditure and Reform sanction in relation to these redeployment were applicable.

Table 1 - Permanent Redeployments

Number (wte)	Grade	Area Assigned To
1	Service Officer	Corporate Affairs
1	Assistant Principal Officer	IT Unit
1	Executive Officer	Merrionstreet.ie

Table 2 - Temporary Redeployments / Secondments

Number (wte)	Grade	Area Assigned To
1	Principal Officer	Economic, International & Northern Ireland
0.5	Principal Officer	EU Affairs and Co-ordination Division
0.5	Principal Officer	Constitutional Convention
1	Administrative Officer	Government Press Office
1	Third Secretary	Private Secretary to the Minister of State for European
1	Higher Executive Officer	EU Affairs and Co-ordination Division
1	Higher Executive Officer	Government Press Office