Council to lose one third of top officials

Cork’s city manager announced a major restructuring last night, prompted by the retirement of almost one third of his senior officials.

Ger O’Halloran, the city council’s personnel officer, and Kevin Terry, the city engineer, are availing of the Government’s incentivised retirement scheme and leaving at the end of this month.

The city’s head of housing, Stephen Kearney, retired last year.

However, because of the public service recruitment ban, their positions will not be filled.

City manager Tim Lucey said the non-filling of their posts represented a 27% reduction in the council’s senior management team.

He announced plans last night to cut the number of council directorates from 11 to eight, and reshuffle his senior management team.

The community and enterprise directorate will be divided between the housing and community directorate and corporate affairs.

The docklands and economic development directorates will be amalgamated with planning into a directorate of strategic planning and economic development.

The functions of the recreation and amenity directorate will be re-assigned across the environment, corporate affairs, and human resources directorate.

Gerry O’Beirne will head up the roads and transportation directorate.

Assistant city manager Dan Buggy is taking over the housing and community directorate.

Jim O’Donovan is taking over the environment and recreation services directorate.

Pat Ledwidge will head up strategic planning and economic development, overseeing the docklands regeneration.

Valerie O’Sullivan will lead the directorate of corporate and external affairs, Tim Healy remains as head of finance, Ruth Buckley remains as the head of ICT and business services, and Denis O’Mahony will head up the directorate of human resource management and organisational reform.

By the end of February, retirements will have brought the council’s staff numbers down to just over 1,300 — a reduction of 219 or 14% since early 2009.