Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers
Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Joan Burton): As the Deputy will be aware there is
currently a moratorium on recruitment across the civil and public service. I can assure the
Deputy that the Department will continue to source available staff to fill critical vacancies,
including those arising from retirements, by way of redeployment, or transfer from within the
Department and other Government Departments, taking account of the Employment Control
Framework (ECF) target, as determined by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
The Department is committed to delivering the best possible service to its customers. To this
end, operational processes and procedures, the organisation of work and the staffing needs
for all areas within the Department are continuously reviewed, having regard to 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.
Financial Reviews
344. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of current
inquiries by FÁS with regard to scheme sponsors that are raising their own revenue; and if she
will make a statement on the matter. [8030/12]
Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Joan Burton): Following the reductions in the CE
training and materials grant announced in the Budget, the Department of Social Protection
commenced a review of the financial resources of individual schemes. This review is scheduled
to be completed by the end of March
All sponsors have been contacted by Department officers at local level to brief them on the
review, discuss their returns and deal with any queries that the sponsors may have. The submissions
will be made to these officers.
As this is a financial review, and given the requirement for savings, all possible sources of
income/funding for the project must be identified. Many projects receive funding/income from
different sources and may not require the same level of assistance as others. The review is to
ensure that those projects that require the most assistance can be identified.
345. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason FÁS offices
require bank details of community employment projects, in view of the fact that the CE
schemes are private companies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8031/12]
Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Joan Burton): Following the reductions in the CE
training and materials grant announced in the Budget, the Department of Social Protection
commenced a review of the financial resources of individual schemes. This review is scheduled
to be completed by the end of March
All sponsors have been contacted by Department officers at local level to brief them on the
review, discuss their returns and deal with any queries that the sponsors may have. The submissions
will be made to these officers.
As part of the contract between my Department and CE sponsors full details of the sponsor’s
CE bank account must be available for monitoring and control purposes. Significant advances
from public funds are paid into CE sponsors bank accounts and my officials have a duty of
care for these taxpayer’s funds. In addition the requirements of the Company Registration
Office ensure that the amount of funds in the bank accounts of CE sponsors must be returned
on an annual basis.
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