Met Éireann jobs cut in face of climate change

IN light of the unprecedented flooding of recent weeks there are growing fears that projects to map the future effects of climate-change are being hampered by job cuts at Met Éireann.

Met Éireann has seen its workforce cut from 205 staff to 176, resulting in concerns that staff will be pulled out of development and research work to cover core tasks.

The job cuts have been pushed through via the public sector employment moratorium, in addition to early retirement schemes, natural retirement and incentivised career breaks.

It is also understood that four long-mooted job positions that would have seen staff work primarily in climate-change areas have not been filled as a result of the recruitment embargo.

Dr Kieran Hickey of NUI Galway’s Department of Geography said it was “absolutely crucial” to Ireland that Met Éireann be adequately resourced and that its staffing should be an exception to the employment moratorium.

“I would reckon that a big proportion of what is happening can be attributed to climate change,” Dr Hickey said, adding Galway’s previous record November rainfall figure was exceeded last Wednesday, midway through the month.

He added that Met Éireann should be given the resources to provide a fully developed flood forecasting service.

However, assistant director of Met Éireann Liam Campbell said, while there would be cutbacks in some areas, climate change would continue to be a priority. “Met Éireann has a number of core tasks to perform. In recent years climate change has become increasingly important and we would see that as a key task to be carried out. We are subject to government policy regarding resources. With the resources we have available at any given time we will deploy them to address priority issues. We will prioritise climate change, because we feel we have to in the national interest.”

He said resources overall had been reduced and, in light of this, there would be a “re-prioritisation of tasks” within Met Éireann, although details of this had yet to be conveyed to staff.

“We have not actually dropped anything at the moment,” Mr Campbell said, adding “projects of lower priority might have to be suspended for a time” in future.

A new director of Met Éireann will be appointed shortly and the new incumbent will review the organisation’s projects.