Posted online: Jan 28th, 2010

Councils in Donegal are set to reduce the number of people that they employ by a further figure of 60 in 2010, it emerged this week.
Between 2008 and December 2009, councils in Donegal reduced their workforce by 336. According to figures released this week, 60 more full-time posts are being lost due to a combination of contracts expiring and personnel retiring.
Local authorities have been forced to shed jobs as they grapple to try and cope with significantly reduced finances due to the current economic downturn.
According to Donegal Co. Manager, Mr. Michael McLoone, the number of people employed by Donegal Co. Council will be reduced to 870 by the end of this year, with 77 people being employed by town councils in Letterkenny, Bundoran, Ballyshannon and Buncrana.
Meanwhile, plans to shake-up the working arrangements of Donegal Co. Council are being affected by industrial action that begun this week.
The IMPACT, SIPTU and craft unions have begun industrial action arising “from the Government decision to cut the rates of pay of Public Servants and their threats to make further cuts in pay, pension, benefits and jobs.”
The industrial action includes a refusal to cooperate with the National Transformation of Public Services agenda – designed to improve the efficiency and quality of council services – without union agreement.
But there is an added complication in Donegal where the Council is currently in the process of re-organising some of its structures and services due to the change in electoral areas from six to five. This means a re-organisation of public service offices and also a the re-organisation of management and staff structures.
Speaking at the January meeting of the Council, Cllr. Padraig MacLochlainn pointed out that the Council is trying to provide services, but with less resources, both in terms of finance and people. The Council will lose one quarter of its staff in a three year period but is under pressure to try and preserve services.
Cllr. Bernard McGuinness, meanwhile, recognised that there are issues involving the unions but also expressed concern about the impact on services to the public.
The reorganisation of some council services, and the redeployment of some staff, remain important issues but may take more time to resolve due to the industrial action.
However, Co. Manager, Mr. Michael McLoone, stressed the good working relationship between the Council and unions.