New payment scheme means 400 staff are surplus to requirements

THE Department of Agriculture and Food introduced the single farm payment scheme on time and ahead of any other member state of the EU - while also managing to re-allocate 180 of its staff to other parts of the public service.

Reporting to the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts, Tom Moran, Secretary General of the Department, said, “It is not so long ago since it had a staff of 6,000 people. As of today it has a staff of 4,360 people, and we will further reduce the number. We will definitely not retain staff unless there is work for them”.

Due to the introduction of the new payment scheme, 400 staff became surplus to requirements, and 180 have been transferred to other Departments. The Department plans to have all 400 re-deployed by the end of this year.