The Department stated that funds were shifted from funded vacancies to other priorities which included research projects, interest on financial leases, transfers to the Human Settlements Scholarship programme, creation of Human Settlement Chair at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, payments for employee social benefits and the purchasing of office equipment. The Department's current vacancy rate stood at 31 per cent. The Committee expressed concerns about the shifting of funds from funded vacancies and its impact on the Department's service delivery programmes.