The information requested in relation to Dublin City Council staff sanction requests received by my Department is outlined in the table:
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
No. of requests received
|
1
|
167
|
52
|
2
|
No. of requests approved
|
1
|
167
|
39
|
0
|
No. of requests pending
|
0
|
0
|
6
|
2
|
In 2009, 1 request was received for an acting arrangement and sanction on this basis was granted.
In 2010, 89 requests were received for permanent filling and 78 for temporary/contract filling of posts. Sanction was granted for 67 posts to be filled on a permanent basis, 1 post to be filled on an acting basis and 99 posts to be filled on a contract basis.
In 2011, 23 requests were received for permanent filling and 29 for temporary/contract filling of posts. Sanction was granted for 16 posts to be filled on a permanent basis, 23 posts to be filled on a contract basis, 1 request is on hold, 5 requests were refused, 1 request was withdrawn and 6 requests are pending.
In 2012, 2 requests were received for permanent filling and these requests are pending.
The Local Government Efficiency Review Group's Report published in July 2010 recommended that the staff numbers and the number of senior managers in Dublin and Cork City Councils should be independently reviewed, with a target of reducing numbers by at least 15%. An Independent Review Group was established to carry out the Dublin review and the Group asked Dublin City Council to develop a work plan of actions to reduce staff numbers in line with the recommendations, with a particular emphasis on the number of senior managers. The review process took account of issues such as:
The necessity to maintain a focus on the delivery of essential front line services to the public,
The scope for sharing services and collaboration among the Dublin local authorities and with other local authorities,
Government policy in restoring the national finances, and,
The demands on Dublin and the promotion of Dublin as the capital city.
The Independent Review Group Report on Staffing Levels in Dublin City Council was published on 15 July 2011. The Report identified that staff numbers from the beginning of 2009 up to 2014 could potentially be reduced by 18.65%. At a minimum staff numbers will have been reduced by close to 13% over this period. The Report outlined that certain critical posts would need to be filled as staff left the Council.
Under the terms of the ongoing moratorium on public service recruitment all local authority staffing requests must be sanctioned by my Department. In this regard, my Department works very closely with Dublin City Council to ensure that critical posts are filled while overall numbers are reduced. All staffing sanction requests are examined on a case by case basis having due regard to the continued delivery of key services and the need to further reduce overall staffing levels and expenditure in the local authority. The analysis and findings of the workforce plan and staffing review will help to inform the future staffing decisions in relation to the Council.