County Council losing key staff to rival local authorities
The loss of valuable staff from Galway County Council to other local authorities is a cause for concern according to an elected member.
And it has been equated to the poaching of soccer players by one of the stronger English clubs in the Premiership.
There was even a suggestion that the Human Resources section of Galway County Council account as to why so many good engineers and staff are leaving the local authority.
It has also been asked about why so many of the senior staff are employed in temporary positions. This possibly has to do with the fact that the amalgamation of Galway County Council and Galway City Council is still under consideration.
If this happened, then there would be only one person in some of the senior positions within the new amalgamated Council. At the moment, the prospects of this happening are unlikely.
But Cllr Timmy Broderick took issue with what he described as the ‘hemorrhaging of staff’ at Galway County Council. He was speaking at a meeting of Ballinasloe Municipal Council.
“We have some of the best engineering and technical staff but they seem to be moving on at the rate of knots. There has to be a reason for this.
“It doesn’t seem to be happening in other local authorities but we seem to be the exception,” Cllr Broderick said.
Director of Services, Jim Cullen said that the Council cannot explain why people leave but once they do, their position is advertised and eventually filled subject to the resources being made available.
He referred in particular to Senior Executive Engineer Adrian Headd who is leaving the Ballinasloe Area to take up promotion with Clare County Council. “That is his decision and we have to respect it,” he said.