4. The Department has acknowledged that a high vacancy rate remains a challenge. This is an ongoing problem, of which the Committee is well aware. It has several times previously expressed its concern about the negative consequences that vacancies can have for the delivery of justice services. Also, the Committee believes that although the use of savings from vacant posts to fund other projects (such as the implementation of the OSD) may be understandable, the practice is potentially risky as it may discourage the filling of posts. While the Committee welcomes the Department's aim to reduce the number of vacant posts from the present 14% to 5% in the next two years, it believes that this is a formidable task. It seems to the Committee that the Department is struggling to fill its vacancies. The Department reported in its 2008/09 Annual Report that its vacancy rate was at 13.6%. The Department's aim to reduce this to 5% in the next two years indicates that there has been no progress in the meantime. The Committee recommends that all critical posts be filled as soon as possible, especially given the fact that the Department has the budget for the posts. It intends to continue to monitor progress closely.