asked the Minister for Finance if he will state in respect of each of the years ended 31st December 1961 and 31st December 1971 the number of (a) established civil servants and (b) unestablished civil servants.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Civil Servant Numbers.
18.
The information sought by the Deputy is obtained from the Civil Service census, which relates to the first working day of each year. The 1972 census is being compiled at present and comparable figures for 3rd January, 1972 are not yet available. On 1st January, 1962 there were 19,883 established and 9,027 unestablished civil servants. The numbers on 1st January, 1971 were 28,176 and 9,843, respectively.
Would the Minister agree that the promise made by a previous Fianna Fáil Minister for Finance in the not too distant past and, indeed, by different Fianna Fáil Ministers for Finance, that they would reduce the number of civil servants, was certainly not honoured?
I would require notice and reference by the Deputy to the particular quotations to which he refers.
Does the Minister not agree——
Question No. 18 is a statistical question. The Deputy's supplementary is not relevant.
Did a previous Minister for Finance not say he would reduce the number?