Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 February 2025
448. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of staff sanction requests for housing staff currently awaiting decision with his Department, with a breakdown by local authority. [5995/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraStaffing sanction requests for posts in local authorities submitted to my Department are considered in light of Government priorities and other requirements when received. Consideration is also given to the overall staffing levels of the local authority and its ability to meet the ongoing costs involved. In terms specifically of vacancies that arise for existing posts, the majority of local authorities operate under a delegated sanction whereby they can replace vacancies up to Grade VII and equivalent without recourse to my Department for sanction.
My Department has established a 'fast-track' process for staff sanction requests from Local Authorities in respect of housing posts, to ensure that requests are dealt with as efficiently and effectively as possible. My Department endeavours to process staffing sanction requests in a timely manner having regard to the particulars of each request.
Housing for All includes a commitment to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to initiate, design, plan, develop and manage housing projects. Extensive work was undertaken in 2021 to identify the additional capital staff resources required by local authorities to deliver the social housing targets set out in Housing for All. Following that process, in December 2021, funding for 250 housing posts in local authorities nationally was approved to support social housing delivery. All staff sanction requests received for these additional social housing capital delivery posts have been approved by my Department. My Department continues to work with local authorities on an ongoing basis where changes are required to those sanctioned posts.
In total, 140.5 professional/technical and administrative posts dedicated to delivering affordable housing are being funded by my Department in local authorities. As part of Phase 1 in Q3 2022, 69 posts were sanctioned consisting of 42 administrative staff and 27 Professional/Technical staff in 18 local authorities. Funding was approved in Q1 2024 for an additional 71.5 affordable housing posts in local authorities nationally as part of the second phase consisting of 40 administrative staff and 31.5 professional/technical staff. The new staff will ensure that local authorities have increased levels of necessary in-house expertise in areas such as design, procurement, surveying, engineering and administration.
Formal approval has been issued to each local authority notifying them of their specific affordable housing staff allocation as part of Phase 1 and Phase 2. There are no further affordable housing staff sanction requests currently awaiting decision with my Department. The following are the outstanding staffing sanction requests currently on hand in my Department for posts relating to housing delivery and homelessness broken down by local authority area.
|
Local Authority |
No. of Requests |
No. of Posts |
|
Donegal County Council |
4 |
4 |
|
Dublin City Council |
1 |
1 |
The recruitment and filling of posts in the local authority sector is undertaken both by individual local authorities and the Public Appointments Service. Following the approval of a staffing sanction request by my Department where such is required it is then a matter for the Chief Executive, who is responsible under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001 for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible, to progress the appointment as appropriate.
