Written answer
Departmental Staff
Staff figures were unavailable for 2016; the Department supplied 2017 and 2026 figures, with growth mainly reflecting transferred Gaeltacht functions and expanded responsibilities.
4169. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the number of staff, whole-time equivalents employed in his Department on 30 June 2016 and 30 June 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63357/26]
Comment on this
My Department was established on 19 July 2017 as the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD). Following the transfer of functions of the Gaeltacht and Irish Language division, in June 2025, the Department became the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG).
As my Department was established in July 2017, the requested figures are only available from 31 December 2017. The table below provides information for that date and for 30 June 2026, as requested.
The most significant driver of the growth in numbers is the recent transfer of the Gaeltacht function to my Department. The Revised Estimate 2025 had a headcount provision of 103 people for this area within the previous Department, which transferred to this Department.
With regard to the prior period, it should be noted that as of 31st December 2017 the Department was still at an early stage of development with a number of positions yet to be filled. For example, a permanent office location in Dublin had yet to be established with staff occupying offices across other Departments, and financial payments were being processed by the previous Departments pending the establishment of our own finance systems. Furthermore, additional responsibilities and related staff subsequently transferred to the Department, including the Community Services Programme in 2018 and the Islands function in 2020. The Department has also greatly expanded its scheme delivery in recent years. For example, capital funding has grown from €77 million in 2017 to €273 million this year. The expansion of existing capital schemes and delivery of new schemes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) and the Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) have been achieved with very limited additional staff resources.