LABOUR DUBLIN CITY CLLRS SECURE SPECIAL MEETING ON STAFFING
Labour Dublin City Cllrs Mary Freehill and Alison Gilliland have secured a special meeting of Dublin City Council for Monday 22nd May at 5pm to discuss the shortage of staff that is hampering and delaying work across key Council functions. There is an urgent need for a Service Delivery Plan for the Council. Cllrs Freehill and Gilliland are concerned about the increase in sub-contracting out of core services and the perception that this service delivery approach is smarter and leaner approach to providing services.
Commenting on the motion, Cllr Mary Freehill said:
“Its becoming very difficult to get work done on the Council lately particularly in traffic and road maintenance.
“The failure to recruit full time staff, and an over reliance on contract staff has stripped their skill base and corporate knowledge, and as we seen in housing, the impact of this is a failure to deliver on national priorities.”
Cllr Alison Gilliland said:
“Such an approach is resulting in the loss of oversight and long term responsibility for service standards and response times. It is also resulting in a reduction the council’s ability to be flexible and provide a quick response to often urgent maintenance issues.It raises questions about the standard and quality of workmanship as well as (sub-contractor) worker health and safety standards on DCC work projects.
“The loss of approximately 2,000 established personnel since 2008 has resulted in a diminution in DCC corporate intelligence of the functioning of the city. If continued this will have a devastating impact on the city into the future’.
“It is imperative that the CEO details a Service Delivery Plan for DCC that will deliver services at a standard expected for a modern clean, well kept efficient functioning city to serve both local residents’ needs, local business needs and the needs of visitors to our city’
For further information contact Mary Freehill phone 086 812 6378 [email protected] and Cllr Alison Gilliland 086/6015154 or [email protected]
Text of Motion:
“This meeting calls on the CEO to produce a Service Delivery Plan for DCC. To state how he will deliver services at a standard expected for a modern clean, well kept efficient functioning city to serve both local residents’ needs, local business needs and the needs of visitors to our city. This council notes the impact of the loss of 2,000 established personnel since 2008, while acknowledging modern work practices, this loss has resulted in:
- A diminution in DCC corporate intelligence of the functioning of the city which will have devastating impacts in future years if this trend is not arrested.
- An increase in service delivery times due to the lengthy process of public procurement tendering for sub contract for work previously carried out by DCC’s core staff. This has had a particular impact on repairs in housing and road maintenance
- A move away from apprenticeships and consequently a seriously diminished craft skill base, trained to DCC work standards, upon which DCC can draw
These changes have raised serious concerns from both local residents and businesses and local public representatives regarding:
- The perception that sub contracting may be smarter and leaner and provide better value for money without evaluating the standard of workmanship/output from such contractors
- The loss of oversight and long term responsibility for service standards and response times particularly the quality of workmanship
- The council’s ability to be flexible and provide a quick response to often urgent maintenance issues
- Potential poor (sub-contract) worker health and safety standards on DCC work projects