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Departmental Staff Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 January 2019

Wednesday, 16 January 2019

Ceisteanna (235, 236)

Barry Cowen

Ceist:

235. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of employees in her Department; the number professionally qualified with organisations (details supplied); the number with other relevant professional qualifications; and the number with no professional qualifications, in tabular form. [1882/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Barry Cowen

Ceist:

236. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of employees in her Department authorised to engage in procurement; the number professionally qualified with organisations (details supplied); the number with other relevant professional qualifications; and the number with no professional qualifications, in tabular form. [1899/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 235 and 236 together.

At 31 December 2018, there were 277 employees (headcount) in my Department.

Of these, 221 are at the grade of Executive Officer or higher and therefore have sanction to authorise payments, subject to the following limits, as well as other restrictions:

Grade

Authorisation Limit

Executive Officer or higher

€1,000

Higher Executive Officer / Administrative Officer or higher

€25,000

Assistant Principal Officer or higher

€100,000

Principal Officer or higher

€1m

Assistant Secretary or higher

€10m

Secretary General

€10m

Note: The Secretary General has authorised different authorisation levels for Tusla drawdown and Early Years/Childcare drawdowns.

My Department does not hold comprehensive records on employee qualifications as it cannot compel employees to disclose their qualifications, whether in respect of the organisations mentioned in the Details Supplied or otherwise.

A dedicated Procurement Unit is in place in DCYA. A contracts register of all contracts which have been live at any time since January 2017 to date with a value of more than €20,000 has been set up and the Procurement Unit monitors these contracts relating to approaching expiry dates etc. A central repository of all the corresponding tender documentation is also in place.

Detailed Procurement Policies and Procedures which includes a policy framework and user guidelines are in place. Staff within the Procurement Unit have attended procurement training, including eTenders training, and two Unit members have completed a Certificate in Procurement.

In addition, 49 employees in my Department have received non-certified training in procurement since its establishment in 2011.

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