Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 May 2026
8. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of employees currently in her Department; the number of staff per year each year since 2015, by grade, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38028/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe number of civil servants employed by my Department in the years 2015-2026 is provided in tabular form below.
Each figure provided is as of 31 December in the year in question with the exception of 2026 in respect of which staff numbers are provided are as of 30 April 2026.
The number of civil servants currently employed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade includes staff serving in temporary roles to prepare for Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the European Council.
In addition to civil servants, my department also employs staff across our diplomatic missions abroad that are recruited locally. These employees are subject to local labour law and their salaries are set on a mission by mission basis based on their job description and on the prevailing conditions for salaries in each location. The number of locally recruited staff as of 30 April 2026 was 1,025. This total includes temporary staff recruited to support Ireland's upcoming Presidency in the Ireland's Permanent Mission to the European Union in Brussels and other missions.
|
Grade |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
2026 |
|
Secretary General |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Assistant Secretary & Higher |
29 |
26 |
29 |
28 |
26 |
24 |
28 |
28 |
31 |
33 |
34 |
34 |
|
Principal Officer & Equivalent |
103 |
109 |
114 |
121 |
133 |
132 |
145 |
137 |
140 |
140 |
141 |
137 |
|
Assistant Principal & Equivalent |
203 |
219 |
239 |
270 |
300 |
312 |
341 |
352 |
374 |
393 |
429 |
433 |
|
Administrative Officer & Equivalent |
112 |
109 |
115 |
134 |
170 |
171 |
195 |
202 |
215 |
232 |
321 |
337 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
72 |
76 |
91 |
103 |
117 |
117 |
121 |
133 |
146 |
144 |
171 |
181 |
|
Executive Officer & Equivalent |
169 |
172 |
172 |
197 |
252 |
241 |
237 |
244 |
290 |
316 |
347 |
352 |
|
Clerical Officer & Equivalent |
422 |
454 |
473 |
523 |
599 |
575 |
734 |
869 |
876 |
916 |
919 |
952 |
|
Services Officer |
28 |
30 |
30 |
33 |
32 |
33 |
32 |
34 |
33 |
34 |
35 |
34 |
|
Cleaner |
13 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
11 |
11 |
10 |
12 |
11 |
11 |
12 |
12 |
|
Total |
1,152 |
1,208 |
1,276 |
1,422 |
1,641 |
1,617 |
1,844 |
2,012 |
2,117 |
2,220 |
2,410 |
2,473 |
