Report of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group

Monaghan
Cork
Figure 6.10 – Corporate Service Staff as % of Total Staff, end-2009
21 .6 2 0.8
Kerry
W exford
19 1 8. 4 17. 8 17 .4 17 .4 1 7.2 17. 1
Westmeath
Limerick
1 5. 5 1 5. 4 15 .4 15. 4 1 5.3 15 .1 14. 6 1 4. 4 14 .2 14 .1
Sth Dublin
Kildare
Galway
Offaly
Leitrim
Cavan
Limeric k City
Louth
Wicklow
Laois
G alway Cit y
Sligo
Donegal
Dublin City
1 7 16 .8 16 .7 16. 6 16 .5 16. 3 16 .1 1 5. 9
Clare L ong ford D LR
Rat hdo wn
Kilke nny M ea th W at erfo rd Tip p No rt h C arlo w
13. 8 13 .5 1 3. 4 1 3. 2 12 .3 1 2.2
Cork City
Source: Survey of County and City Councils, 2010 – Corporate Services includes Finance, IT, HR, Motor Tax
and Other Corporate Services
6.8.2 The analysis above suggests that the percentage of staff allocated to
corporate areas varies significantly across local authorities. Aside from the
20 county/ city councils that comprise the proposed joint administrative
areas, analysis of the remaining 14 county and city councils suggests that 6
of these (Meath, Kerry, Wexford, Louth, Clare and Dún Laoghaire –
Rathdown) have more than 16% of staff allocated to corporate areas. A 5%
reduction in staffing across corporate areas in these six local authorities
would yield some 50 WTE resources for redeployment purposes.
6.8.3 The above efficiencies should be greatly facilitated by the full roll out of the
CORE HR and Payroll system to 27 local authorities and the realisation of
savings which it promises. In this regard, it is noted that the sector is
advancing the development of a shared superannuation service and a
shared payroll service (see section 8 for details). Further potential for
sharing service exists in the areas of training, recruitment (to include the
introduction of national panels and the extension of the use of the Public
Appointments Service to all clerical, administrative and professional staff),
and other corporate functions such as the register of electors and the
provision of legal advice.
6.8.4 While the range of staffing levels for the corporate area might in part be
attributed to a variance in what is reported by local authorities as a
corporate service, nonetheless there appear to be significant opportunities
to realise efficiency gains through identifying individual local authority best
practice and adopting it across the sector. The question of a minimum
efficient scale is essential, as is the option of delivering corporate services
on a shared basis (see section 8). To achieve scale, the option to bring
together smaller neighbouring local authorities as joint administrative areas
Mayo
Waterford City
Tipp South
Rosco mmo n
Fingal
11
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