The Government has published a contingency plan which outlines how it is going to manage the departure of key civil service staff. The plan also sets out details of notified retirements by each department and government office.
While the role of implementation rests primarily with the individual departments, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will facilitate the change process.
A number of bodies and departments will be seeking to employ staff to fill some key posts. These include: The Department of Education and Skills, where key School Inspector positions will be filled along with recruitment at National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS); Department of Finance, where competitions at Assistant Principle and Assistant Officer level are ongoing; and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, in the areas of enforcement and regulation.
A number of departments and bodies also intend to address the gap in services through the redeployment of staff and the streamlining of processes. Some examples include: the Department of Children and Youth Affairs which is seeking options for the managed movement of remaining resources; the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, where work is to be redistributed, business processes streamlined and resources aligned to priority areas; the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which is undergoing a root and branch reappraisal of its operations at home and abroad; and the Property Registration Authority.
According to the report, the Department of Social Protection is to lose 246 members of staff, which is the largest amount of any of the bodies. The Office of the Revenue Commissioners and Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine are also to lose substantial amount of staff at 226 and 180 respectively.