My Department, like all Government Departments and agencies, is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget, which for this Department has involved reductions in staff numbers.
My Department continues to focus on prioritising the filling of critical posts. The staffing needs for all areas within the Department, including its offices in Kilbarrack and Coolock, are continuously reviewed, taking account of workloads, management priorities and the competing demands arising, to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources with a view to providing an efficient service to those who rely on the schemes operated by the Department.
In accordance with relevant Department of Public Expenditure and Reform circulars and guidelines, when a permanent post is approved to be filled, the assignment will be made from either a panel created through a Public Appointment Service competition or from an internal Departmental promotion panel or from the relevant transfer list.
My Department is actively working on filling one Executive Officer post in Kilbarrack and one Clerical Officer post in Coolock and anticipates that these posts will be filled very shortly.