Micheál Martin
Ceist:8. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the number of staffing vacancies in his Department. [47899/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 22 November 2017
Ceisteanna (8, 9, 10)
Gerry Adams
Ceist:9. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the number of staff vacancies in his Department. [49004/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMicheál Martin
Ceist:10. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the number of advertisements for staff recruitment his Department has. [49417/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí ó Béal (19 píosaí cainte)
I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 10, inclusive, together.
With the exception of politically appointed staff such as special advisers, all staff assignments, appointments and recruitment in my Department are the responsibility of the Secretary General and senior management of the Department. My Department uses workforce planning and succession planning to ensure there are sufficient staffing resources in place to deliver the Department's strategic goals. The number of vacancies in my Department fluctuates on an ongoing basis due to staff retirements, promotions and staff availing of mobility opportunities and career breaks. Where possible, my Department's human resources unit plans in advance for such vacancies and replacement staff are recruited.
My Department is a strong supporter of staff mobility initiatives across the civil and public service. Mobility opportunities are circulated to all staff in my Department as a matter of course and my Department also recruits staff using mobility initiatives, for example, senior public service, secondments, etc. In recent months, my Department has seconded staff at assistant secretary, principal officer and higher executive officer level to work in the communications unit; the international, European Union and Northern Ireland division; and the Government Press Office.
A small number of vacant positions in my Department are in the process of being filled. These include vacancies for assistants and two vacancies at clerical officer grade. These vacancies are in the process of being filled through the Public Appointments Service's existing panels. The position of head of information and communications technology is due to become vacant shortly. The Public Appointments Service recently advertised for this position and the recruitment process is still under way.
I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. In June last, he informed the House that he intended to study staffing and roles in the Department before taking decisions about priorities. Will he indicate what happened to that process? When we discussed this topic last week, the Taoiseach indicated he did not know how many staff were assigned to specific policy areas. I hope it can be assumed that he dealt with the matter in the past week.
Taking the contents of the Department's annual report as a guide, it appears more full-time staff will work in press and communications than on any other topic or issue in the Department. Is the Taoiseach happy with the message this sends regarding the fundamental role of his Department? Is he happy that as many staff will work in his new marketing unit as on running the Cabinet and more staff will work in the unit than on Northern Ireland, health, infrastructure and various other areas identified as the Department's core priorities? For clarity's sake, will he indicate what will be the position when the changes are finalised? Which specific areas will have more staff and which will have fewer staff?
The Taoiseach pointed out that he does not appoint departmental staff. The exception was the head of the strategic communications unit because, as far as I can see, the Taoiseach asked for this appointment or indicated that the individual in question might be willing to take up the job. This was essentially a case of a nod being as good as a wink and he clearly had a significant influence on that appointment. However, other appointments are made by the Secretary General under the various departmental processes. The priorities are somewhat misplaced.
The Taoiseach referred in some detail to the Brexit negotiations and the relationship between the Government and the government in London. He made the not unreasonable observation that he awaits a proposal from the British Government in respect of the Border issue on the island. I draw his attention to the utterly shambolic state of play in the British Government in respect of putting together anything that could be regarded as a coherent proposal. I direct him to a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee at Westminster on Monday, at which officials from the Home Office made it clear that no work had been done on this issue. When they were asked how many contingency plans they had drawn up for the Border, the reply of one civil servant, which merits direct recording, was, "That's contingent on what you call a contingency plan." This is what we are dealing with.
I commend the Taoiseach on steering a steady course by insisting that matters in respect of Ireland, including the Good Friday Agreement and, in particular, the Border, must be dealt with. Will he rehearse for Deputies the capacity within his Department for dealing with Brexit? Will he provide some detail on the direct liaison he has with Downing Street and the British Prime Minister? Has anything additional been done or introduced to lock down that dialogue and try to get some kind of rhyme or reason from No. 10?
Will the Taoiseach outline the gender breakdown at senior level in his Department? When I served as Tánaiste I was quite shocked to find that there were relatively few women at senior level - above assistant and principal officer level - in the Department of the Taoiseach. Given that the Taoiseach is the lead Minister, as it were, in the Department and has spoken of his desire to see women involved in equal numbers in many aspects of public life, has he taken any initiatives to address the gender divide? Off the top of his head, does he know how many departmental staff at assistant secretary level are men and women, respectively? As we know, the Department is expanding for the strategic communications unit. The gender breakdown of the Department at management level needs serious addressing.
Deputy Martin asked what was happened to the process by which I was to study staffing, roles and other matters. I decided to stay out of the process and leave it to the Secretary General; that on foot of all the controversy around the strategic communications unit and other matters-----
Go away.
-----I should stay out of it.
In June, the Taoiseach stated he would carry out such an examination.
I decided not to do so.
There was no controversy surrounding the strategic communications unit in June.
On foot of the controversy and having thought about the issue, I acceded to greater wisdom and decided to stay out of the process. I am staying out of it entirely. It is entirely a matter for the Secretary General to order the Department and decide how many staff are in each division and office, what they do and how roles are allocated.
It is not correct that more people are working on communications than in other areas. The Department has more than 20 staff members working in the EU and international affairs division, for example. It is also important to recognise that the role of the Department is to support my work, as Taoiseach, and to co-ordinate the work of the Government and Cabinet. We have Departments of Health, Finance and Housing, Planning and Local Government. It is not necessary for my Department to replicate everything that is already in place across Departments. It is not necessary, therefore, to have a housing office with a housing adviser or an education office with an education adviser in my Department. That would be unnecessary, would duplicate work that is being done and would probably cause tension between my Department and other Departments if the latter were being second guessed all the time.
We have extensive expertise across Departments and it does not need to be replicated in mine. My Department's role is to co-ordinate the work of Government, to run the Cabinet committees and drive the programme for Government forward, and to engage in troubleshooting and controversy management on a daily basis.
The total budget for the Department of the Taoiseach will be lower in 2018 than it was in 2017. It is one of the few Departments where the total budget is being reduced.
In terms of politically appointed staff, those appointed by me, the total number I have - this, of course, includes staff who are assigned to the Independents and includes civilian drivers - is 19, as against 23 for my predecessor. I have fewer staff than my forebear had politically appointed and he had many fewer, and they cost much less, than his forebears, the former taoisigh, Mr. Brian Cowen and Mr. Bertie Ahern. One is seeing a reduction in the number of politically appointed staff in the Department and a reduction in the cost to the taxpayer of politically appointed staff, which is something that is worth at least putting on the record of the Dáil.
In terms of capacity, we have extended the capacity in the EU and international affairs section of the Department to deal with Brexit but we also have the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. More so than ever before, my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are working hand in glove. I am working with the Minister, Deputy Coveney, hand in glove. We have all the resources of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including all of the embassies and the Permanent Representation in Brussels, at our disposal. That amounts to hundreds of staff. We are not short-staffed when it comes to dealing with the enormous challenge presented by Brexit.
In terms of the gender divide, it is certainly predominantly male at assistant secretary level and PO level.
I often found myself the only women. It is a little bit lonely.
I am increasingly conscious, when I go into a meeting or am on a panel, as to what the gender balance is. I make a point of ensuring that I notice. There are a lot of meetings one goes to where it is all male or there is only one woman, and that is not optimum in terms of good decision-making. It is something that needs to change.
In terms of my own staff, I have appointed a senior press person, Ms Sarah Meade, and Ms Angela Flanagan on the policy side. I am giving consideration to further appointments on my own side so that, at least when it comes to the staff who I can appoint and who are around me supporting my work, there will be greater gender balance than there is now. I do not have a role when it comes to the Civil Service end of the Department. It is definitely something that we need to have regard to, as vacancies arise and as people apply for positions in the Department, that we have greater gender parity and greater diversity because that means better decisions would be made, which is most important.
Can we now conclude questions? We do not have time.
We either do or we do not.
A follow-up?
If there is going to be none, I gave everybody an opportunity. We are due to take a sos now for 60 minutes.
Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website.