I propose to take Questions Nos. 157 and 158 together.
My Department gathers quarterly data on staff numbers in local authorities. The data gathered does not provide detail in respect of the number of permanent employees that ceased working with Galway County Council and accordingly the information requested is not available in my Department. Broad staffing numbers for the local authority sector are available on the Public Service Numbers Databank which is hosted and maintained by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and is available at the following link: http://databank.per.gov.ie/. The Databank provides access to information from 1980 onwards.
Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. In this regard, it is a matter for each individual Chief Executive to recruit and assign staff to specific functional areas.