asked the Minister for the Public Service if he will give details of all staff grades that are at present in the public service.
9.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Public Service Staff.
8.
asked the Minister for the Public Service the number of employees serving in the public service; the areas they are employed in; and the grades they hold.
I propose to reply to Questions Nos. 8 and 9 together.
The Civil Service is the only area of the public service where I currently have statutory responsibility for control of numbers and grades employed. At present there are 30,600 non-industrial and 5,500 industrial employees in the Civil Service.
Information in relation to numbers in the wider public service was supplied in answer to a question by Deputy Molony on 23 October 1984.
In the context of the Civil Service, the information sought about grades is set out broadly in a statement which I propose to circulate in the Official Report. Information is not readily available in respect of the industrial Civil Service.
Following is the statement:
Number of non-industrial civil servants by grade group—Administrative and Executive, 7,268; Clerical, 10,562; Typing, 2,042; Professional, Scientific and Technical, 4,084; Inspectorate, 2,326; Supervisory, Minor and Manipulative, 2,524; Messenger, Cleaner etc. 1,794.
Would the Minister accept that there are far too many grades in the public service. As part of his Civil Service and public service reform, perhaps there could be an amalgamation of many existing grades which could be of great benefit to his Department and to the public service.
That sounds like a very good idea.