Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 March 2026
603. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacancies that exist for qualified planning staff in each local authority, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21740/26]
View answer604. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of sanctioned posts for qualified planning staff in each local authority, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21741/26]
View answer605. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacancies that exist for qualified planning staff in each regional assembly, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21742/26]
View answer606. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps being taken, including a list of open competitions and future planned competitions to fill the vacancies in qualified planning staff in local authorities and regional assemblies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21743/26]
View answer607. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of qualified planners that have resigned from local authorities between 2020 and 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21744/26]
View answer608. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of local authorities that are supporting their staff to get an accredited planning qualification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21745/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 603, 604, 605, 606, 607 and 608 together.
Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. My Department oversees strategic workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end, my Department gathers aggregate quarterly data on staff numbers in each local authority on a whole time equivalent basis.
However, granular data, in terms of the number or grade of staff assigned to specific work areas or the number of resignations from or vacancies in specific work areas, is not collected and consequently is not available in my Department. The relevant information would be available from the local authorities and regional assemblies concerned.
Staffing sanction requests for posts 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.
The recruitment and filling of posts in the local government sector is undertaken both by individual local authorities and publicjobs. 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. Similarly it is a matter for the Director of a Regional Assembly to progress appointments as appropriate.
My Department is currently working on a number of measures to increase staffing levels in the local government planning sector. In this regard, my Department is collaborating with the local government sector and key stakeholders on the delivery of a programme of supports to planning authorities. These supports include the provision of staffing resources and expertise to enable planning authorities to perform their functions efficiently and effectively.
In October 2023, approval was conveyed to the filling of an initial 101 posts in the local authority planning sector under the first tranche of a programme of supports for planning resources. A further approval issued in January 2025 for 112 posts - 56 graduate planner posts and 56 staff officer posts - to support the planning function within local authorities. Engagement is ongoing with the local government sector on a third tranche of this programme of planning resources.
On 13 May 2025, a national recruitment campaign was launched to attract graduate planners into Ireland’s local authorities, which was supported by my Department. Regional interviews were held in late July and posts are currently being filled.
Consideration is currently being given to a business case received by the Local Government Management Agency for a phase 3 of supports for further planning positions within the local government sector which will include a summer internship programme. Discussions are ongoing in this regard.
