Overtime spike of 54% due to increased Guildhall use

But a spokesperson for Derry City council told the Sentinel that the overall income statement for the Department showed a positive increase of 4.7 per cent over the same period and an increase in income from the Guildhall of 53 per cent alone.

During the same period overtime payments in the City Engineers Department also increased by 10.53 per cent (£20,049) due to seasonal working in the Grounds Maintenance section and the fact there were six public holidays during the period.

A spokesperson for Derry City Council explained that the in the City Solicitors department can be attributed to the increase use of the Guildhall and the need for staff to provide cover outside of the normal hours.

“It is important to note that the Income Statement for the this Department shows a positive increase of 4.7 per cent for the period, and an income increase for the Guildhall alone of 53 per cent,” the spokesperson stated.

“The overtime increase represents a reduction on the increase in overtime when compared to the first quarter and in general, while the City Solicitors Department has over the past 10 years recorded a significant decrease in overtime. “In the 2009/10 financial year, the percentage overtime in the department was 2.9 per cent compared to 5.9 per cent in the Council overall,” the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson said the overtime increases for the City Engineers Department were “mostly attributable to seasonal working in the Grounds Maintenance section and the fact that there were six public holidays during this period compared to just four in the first quarter .”

“Overtime in the City Engineer’s department, however has been falling on an annual basis with 2010/2011 levels down by approx 20 per cent on 2007/08 levels.

“The spokesperson added that Council remains committed to reducing overtime costs across Council and towards providing efficient and cost effective public services,” the spokesperson stated.