A government department objected to allocating up to 190 extra staff to the energy and water regulator, saying it would create more red tape and make it even harder to deliver infrastructure.
In discussions, the Department of Public Expenditure agreed the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) should be allowed to increase its headcount by 60.
However, it heavily opposed plans for a near doubling of staff numbers, saying they did not want “an increase in the intensity of regulation and oversight in the electricity, gas and water sectors.”
A department submission said this would run contrary to Government policy towards a more streamlined approach to providing infrastructure.
“The Vote Section has engaged extensively and are recommending an increase of 60 staff in CRU’s headcount (+30%) to meet key regulatory pressures, (substantially lower than the original ask of 190), provided they are recruited on a phased basis in the coming years,” the document said.
Officials said this should also be the last such request from the CRU for extra resources for “a significant period of time.”
The submission detailed how the commission had submitted a workforce plan in January of last year that would have increased staffing to 387.
It said in December last year, the Department of Public Expenditure had sanctioned six extra staff to help with work on an offshore wind project.
Subsequent requests were submitted so that the CRU could urgently recruit 67 new staff, with a further 22 posts sought to fulfil other requirements.
“The Vote Section had concerns with the original request’s alignment with Government policy to reduce barriers to infrastructure development, as a potential increase in the intensity of regulation and oversight in the electricity, water and gas sectors could potentially act as a blockage,” it said.
The submission said the CRU would need new staff to deal with plans for a tripling of electricity network investment in the coming years.
It said given the scale of what was involved, it seemed “reasonable” that there would be an increase in the level of regulatory oversight.
However, the Department of Public Expenditure was given assurances this would not block the development of infrastructure.
Officials said the increase in staffing would be much smaller than what was initially suggested and that new hires would be recruited in key areas.
The submission concluded: “As such, the Vote Section is recommending an increase in CRU’s headcount to facilitate an additional 60 staff from the existing ask of 89”.
“The full increase of 89 is not being recommended as not all priorities in the revised ask are equally justified,” it added.
It said the new staffing would be conditional on phased recruitment over two years and that the CRU would need to report on its performance, particularly in areas involving infrastructure delivery.
The submission added that paying for the new posts would for the most part be “funded via the electricity consumer” through levies.
In a sanction letter to the Department of Climate, a senior official from Public Expenditure said the headcount increase would be “a very substantial uplift.”
It added that the CRU should start performance reporting on how its work would help speed up the delivery of infrastructure across Ireland.
Reporting by Ken Foxe
