Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 April 2014
20. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will confirm the number of staff members who have transferred or been redeployed under the provisions of the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) (Amendment) Act 2013 since that Act's enactment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16787/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince the enactment of the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) (Amendment) Act 2013 last December, the Public Appointments Service (PAS) has been notified of 246 public service employees that require to be designated for redeployment to comparable positions elsewhere in the public service under the Act. The PAS has completed the formal designation of 19 cases, which has involved formally confirming with the sending and receiving organisations issues such as the tenure and the basis of the initial assignment of the person involved, their suitability as regards health and character, their abilities to discharge the duties of the post, as well as grading, pay, pensions issues. It is continuing to liaise with sending and receiving organisations on the remaining cases, with a view to designating these over the coming weeks.
The 2013 Act has removed the legislative barriers to redeployment and overall mobility within the public service and addresses other issues that arise on changing employer. Before it was enacted, secondment arrangements were used to facilitate the placement of staff being redeployed from another employer. Designation by the PAS under the Act makes such redeployments definitive and provides certainty of assignment for the staff and for the sending and receiving organisations involved.
There are no legal impediments to redeployments that do not involve a change of employer, for example moves from one Department in the Civil Service to another, and it is not necessary therefore to apply the provisions of the 2013 Act in respect of such moves.
