Six staff who had no work were paid €1m

Department of Agriculture: Six former staff of the Dublin and Cork milk boards who were redeployed to the public service following the sale of the companies received over €1 million in salaries from the State even though they had no work to do for up to seven years in some cases.

According to the report, the Dublin and Cork milk boards were abolished in the mid-1990s, and the services sold to private companies. However, as part of the deal, staff made redundant by the new employers were guaranteed public sector posts.

The report reveals that 50 staff opted for redeployment in the public service.

Of these, 44 were in positions considered equivalent to recruitment grades in the civil service, and were redeployed under an Excluding Order from the Civil Service Commissioners in 1998.

However, the report says the remaining six staff, "in grades equivalent to executive officer/higher executive officer, though on the Department of Agriculture's payroll, were not appointed to positions for a significant period of time".

It says three of these former milk board staff were on the Department of Agriculture payroll from 1996 to 2003 without having any work.

Two others received their salary from the Department from 1997 to 2003, while another was paid from 2000 to 2003.

The report reveals that one of the six former milk board staff was also paid salary increments during the period in which the officer had no work.

In its submission to the comptroller, the Department of Agriculture said it had requested sanction for the issue of Excluding Orders by the Civil Service Commissioners to cover all former milk board staff from the Department of Finance in April 1997.

"An Excluding Order was issued by the Civil Service Commissioners in April 1998 in respect of staff of the former milk boards, including technical grades and clerical staff. This brought the number of staff officially assigned to relevant posts in the Department to 44," the Department of Agriculture stated.

The Department of Agriculture said the Department of Finance was reluctant to sanction the issue of an Excluding Order for the remaining six staff as they were at levels above the normal civil service recruitment grade, and it was not immediately clear that they were qualified for the full range of duties appropriate to their level.

The Department said it was not possible to employ these staff in the absence of the Excluding Order, and therefore the question of their reporting for work or supervision did not arise.

"An alternative policy recommended by the Department of Finance was to hold a confined recruitment competition for both grades.

"Two competitions were organised, but proved unsuccessful as the majority of the staff in question maintained their opposition to such a course as they had no experience of undertaking such competitions," the Department of Agriculture told the comptroller.