AQO 7752/11-15

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 26/02/2015
Answered On Date: 09/03/2015
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Finance and Personnel for his assessment of the effectiveness of the Voluntary Exit Scheme in the current economic circumstances.

Answer:

The closing date for applications to the Scheme is 27 March, therefore it is too early to assess its effectiveness at this stage and until all applications have been considered against the Scheme selection criteria. At the deadline for applications, all those who have applied will then go forward to be considered for selection.

I can confirm that the Scheme was successfully launched on 2 March 2015. Applications are invited until 5 pm on 27 March 2015. My officials will then work closely with Departments to manage the process of selection, in line with the published selection criteria. It is important to emphasise that this Scheme is entirely voluntary and not part of a process that will lead to compulsory redundancy.

All staff who apply will receive notification of the outcome of the selection process. Acceptance to leave will commit those staff to leave on the exit date notified. All staff selected to leave will be given three months notice.

The Scheme has been developed to operate within the 2015/16 financial year only, subject to available resources and we anticipate those selected to leave under the Scheme will do so in tranches between 30 September 2015 and 31 March 2016. Trade Union Side has been consulted throughout the development of the Scheme, both at Departmental level and centrally through the Whitley Executive machinery. We will continue this consultation.