The Human Resources Department deals with the following main areas;

Human Resource Strategy	Diversity Management
Workforce Planning	Equality
Recruitment & Selection	Work life Balance
Employee Training & Development	Industrial Relations
Performance Management	Employee Health Safety & Welfare
Attendance Management	Returns & Reports
Leadership Development	Employment Law

 

Human Resource Strategy

A HR Strategy was prepared in 2011. The overall objective of which is to provide for the development of the Human Resource function at all levels and to ensure that all core Human Resource processes are aligned to, and support, the future mission, goals and service delivery requirements of both local authorities.

 

Public Service Agreement

The Public Service Agreement 2010 - 2014 represents an agreement between the Trade Unions and Management representing public sector workers.

The Agreement is designed to;

• Facilitate a reduction in the public service pay bill through a progressive reduction in staff numbers across the public sector.
• Eliminate a requirement for any further pay reductions in public sector basic pay.
• Continue to deliver excellent public services in the context of this reduction in public sector numbers and the commitments in relation to pay and security of employment.
• Maximise efficiencies and increase productivity in the use of resources through revised work practices, innovations and other initiatives.

 

Action Plans

A series of Action Plans have been developed nationally by each Sector-Local Government, Health, Civil Service, Gardai, etc. To support the national Local Government Sector Action Plan each Local Authority has developed its own plan which outlines a number of measures under common headings of restructuring, shared services, procurement, e-government, redeployment, productivity & performance.

Considerable progress has been made in Kilkenny County & Borough Councils to date;

• Gross pay for all Grades was reduced by an average of 8%, and net pay was reduced by an average of 7% due to the imposition of the pension levy. The total reduction in take home pay for all employees was on average 15%.
• Kilkenny Local Authorities had 125 employees fewer employed at 31/12/2011 than was employed at 31st December 2007. This is a reduction of 16.25% in numbers employed or 14.1% in Whole Time Equivalents employed.

 

Nationally

• The numbers employed in the Public Service have reduced by 14,828 (4.75% ) in the period 2007-2011.
• The numbers employed in Local Government have reduced by 5,461 (15.62%) in the period 2007-2011.

 

Payroll costs have reduced by €4,638,937 from their peak 31/12/2008 to 31/12 2011 and are estimated to reduce again by €173,225 in 2012.

 

Government Targets

The target for the Public Service is 294,700 by the end of 2014.

The target for Local Government is 30,000 by end of 2014 as follows;

• 30,800 by end of 2011
• 30,400 by end of 2012
• 30,000 by end of 2013
• 30,000 by end of 2014

In Kilkenny, the 2014 target was met in December 2011.

 

 

Employment Numbers for Both Authoraties 2007-2011

Year Ended	Totals
	Headcount	WTE's
31/12/2007	769	652
31/12/2008	727	644.17
31/12/2009	679	594.54
31/12/2010	662	567.74
31/12/2011	644	556.59
Total	125	91.41
Reductions	[16.25%]	[14.02%]

 

Total number of staff (whole time equivalent) at the end of December 2011 535.59 reduced from 545 in 2010.

 

Specific measures achieved in Kilkenny Local Authorities to date include;

Restructuring

• Decrease in the number of staff and Directorates
• Reduction in number and redeployment of Revenue Collectors
• Establishment of dedicated debt collection unit
• Non filling of maternity leave posts
• Implementation of work life balance schemes
• Water Service Caretaker restructuring so as to separate water & waste water duties

Shared Services

• The Housing functions of both Kilkenny County & Borough Councils are now delivered by Kilkenny County Council. This involved the redeployment of 5 indoor staff and 8 outdoor staff from Kilkenny Borough Council to the County Council.
• Shared Parks & Nursery Services in the Kilkenny City/Environs Area
• Shared Forward Planning Service for both Authorities
• The Payroll, HR & IR Services for both Authorities are now provided by Kilkenny County Council
• Shared Roads Services in the Kilkenny City & Environs areas
• Agreement with Carlow County Council in relation to the provision of a Dog Warden service
• Agreement between Kilkenny County Council, The Food Safety Authority of Ireland & 2 other Local Authorities in relation to the provision of food safety functions
• Joint Regional Waste Management Planning including Recycling
• Agricultural Inspections carried out on behalf of KCC by Dept of Agriculture
• Regional Coastal Pollution Plan
• Regional Promotion of Eco Education & Awareness
• Regional Water & Environmental Management Committee/EPA Laboratory
• Carlow/Kilkenny Energy Agency

Procurement

• A dedicated Procurement Unit was established to implement Corporate Procurement Strategy. Key benefits provided include:
• Negotiating savings in procurement of goods and services
• Amalgamation of spend and eliminations of procurement inefficiencies
• Legislative compliance and the development of expertise in the area of procurement

 

The dedicated procurement unit has delivered €1.5m savings to date through negotiated reductions in prices of water services supplies, landfill remedial contract, street cleaning, mobile phone tender, recycling, cleaning of bring banks, water quality testing, jcb hire and fixed line telephone costs.

 

E Government

• Kilkenny Tourism & Invest Kilkenny websites were developed by Kilkenny County Council with open source software
• Water Meter Application (meter.ie) installed so that commercial users may view their water consumption and water charge accounts on line
• Water quality website (lims system) provided where water quality results of public water schemes are available on line
• Use of web 2.0 technologies and open source software
• On line payments for many services

Redeployment

• Economic Development Unit established
• Water Services Business Unit established -Finance & Water Services staff redeployed into one unit to address all aspects of the payment of water charges including customer complaints, enquiries and payments

Productivity & Performance

• Abolition of certain Overtime & Allowance arrangements
• Changes in the Fire Service response to certain minor call outs and other Fire Service efficiencies
• Elimination of cashing time, regularising of annual leave and working time arrangements in Kilkenny Borough Council
• Rationalising of refuse collection arrangements in Kilkenny Borough Council
• Introduction of Electronic Time & Attendance
• Revised Absenteeism Management Policy agreed for the Sector & being implemented in Kilkenny Local Authorities
• Moving from weekly to fortnightly pay cycles for certain groups of staff
• Provision of Integrated HR, Payroll & Superannuation system
• Collection of newly introduced income streams including the household charge
• Provision of a Fleet Security/GPS for both Authorities
• Out of hour's provision of services such as Planning, Community & Culture, Tenant Liaison, Environmental Awareness, Heritage etc.

Future Actions

• Both Authorities are further committed to the Sectors' objectives of implementing further Local Government reforms, implementing the recommendations of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group report, the development of Shared Services and implementing Government decisions in relation to broadening the tax base and revising structures at regional country & sub county levels.

 

 

Audit

It is the role of Internal Audit to provide assurance as to the efficient operation of financial, management & operational controls in the Local Authority. Work continued on the implementation of a programme of internal audit and spot checks throughout 2011.

The role of the Audit Committee is to provide oversight of the integrity of the internal controls and the effectiveness of the risk management procedures. The committee met on four occasions in 2011.

The committee reviewed the operation of the Internal Audit section and its reports; it discussed the management and governance of the Council with management and reviewed the financial reporting of the Council.
 

 

Health and Safety and Welfare at Work

This section of the annual report sets out how Kilkenny County Council and Kilkenny Borough Council implemented their Safety Management System in 2011. The report summarises the achievements throughout the past year in developing policies, revising safety statements and ultimately improving the health, safety and welfare at work environment in the Local Authorities.

The highlights for 2011 were;

• Consultation and Communication - Safety Management Committee and the Joint Consultative Safety Committee met as required throughout the year.
• HSA Inspections and Notices - The Health and Safety Authority carried out one inspection in 2011. There were no improvement notices served during the period.
• Policies - Progress continued in the review and development of policies in the area of construction management, confined spaces, lone working emergency evacuation, event safety, statutory inspections for equipment and visual display units. In addition there was solid progress in reviewing the 64 policy statements issued by LASAG for national adoption.
• Safety Statements and Risk Assessments - Progress was made in 2011 in revising safety statements and reviewing risk in the following areas:
  • Housing Maintenance
  • Traffic management
  • Machinery Yard (County Council)
  • Newrath Depot
  • Water Services
  • Fire Services and Fire Stations
  • Environment

Training and familiarisation was also provided in respect of the first five of the Standard Operational Guidelines as issued by the National Directorate on Fire and Emergency Management.

• Safety Audits - Considerable progress made in 2010 was continued in 2011:
  • An independent consultant was engaged to undertake audits in the Council's main areas of operation. Audit reports for 11 roadwork sites, 8 water services installations and 5 housing activities were issued during the year.
  • Senior members of staff undertook audits in their own service areas. The model for inspections as issued by LASAG has been used for this purpose.

 

Key Indicators for 2011

€730,400 was spent by Kilkenny Local Authorities on Health and Safety in the workplace. This represents about 8.7% of the Council's Annual budget for 2011 or €1,270 per employee. Other key indicators include;

• The Management Team of Kilkenny Local Authorities discussed health and safety on 33 occasions throughout the year.
• The Safety Management Committee met on 5 occasions.
• The Joint Consultative Committee met on three occasions in 2011.
• In 2011 there were 10 accidents in the workplace, 3 of which were reportable to the HSA.
• The recordable accident or incident rate for 2011 is 0.5 (3x200,000/1,240,000 employee hours) Using Occupational Safety & Health Administration (U.S) methodology. This means that for every 100 employees 0.5 have been in a reportable injury. This compares very well with sectoral norms of 4 in the area of maintenance, repair and utilities.