MORE than 50 posts were transferred from the former Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to other Stormont departments in a shake-up of its responsibilities.
The Executive Office, formerly OFMDFM, has lost many of its functions since the number of government departments was cut from 12 to nine following May's assembly elections.
The new Department of Communities has taken on much of the work, including initiatives for older people and efforts to tackle poverty.
In response to a story in The Irish News stating that the Executive Office has no plans to cut staff, it has pointed out that a total of 56 posts went from OFMDFM to other departments as a result of restructuring.
A further eight people took voluntary redundancy.
The department now has 284 staff, including eight special advisers.
Sinn Fein junior minister Megan Fearon told the assembly on Monday: "All reductions were achieved prior to the formation of the Executive Office".
She added that "structures and staffing levels in the department are regularly reviewed to ensure that work is delivered in the most efficient and effective way possible".
