"Gizza Job"
People were apparently queueing out in the street in their eagerness to get a job in Belfast's new Victoria Square development this morning. But the Department for Social Development isn't having so much luck in attracting potential staff. In a meeting of Departmental Permanent Secretaries in December, the DSD's Alan Shannon said his department currently had 540 vacancies. He blamed pay as the main factor in not being able to retain staff. There's a high turnover in general administrative and supervisory staff in benefits offices and child support offices. A DSD spokesman pointed out that the department is not unique as recruiting and retaining staff is a problem in other areas of the civil service.
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Mark will you answer this for me? Dominic Bradley (SDLP)on the 1st October 2007 asked the Minister for Social Development Margaret Ritchie to outline what she is doing to ensure that a reported 1,500 job losses within the Social Security Agency are averted? Margaret Ritchie's reply was as follows - I am continuing to put forward a strong, vigorous case in an attempt to secure the maximum amount of funding possible to avert any job losses as part of the comprehensive spending review. I look forward to the support of my ministerial colleagues to endorse the delivery of front-line services in social security offices, particularly the processing and payment of benefits, particularly to those who reside in disadvantaged, deprived and marginalised communities. I understand the need for efficiencies in the SSA, but I am not prepared to take measures that would result in the diminution of services to needy people (Comment ends)What is the situation? How come on the 1st October 2007 1500 jobs need to be lost but yet by December 2007 there are 540 vacancies. How can 1 department lose 2000 staff in 3 months? Does the DSD think we can't count? The pay and conditions have not improved. Apparently still jobs losses are required in the Civil Service. Mark what is the situation?