asked the Minister for the Public Service the number of vacancies that have arisen, and the number of posts that have been filled from the 1 July 1986 to 30 November 1986 in the Civil Service.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Vacancies in the Civil Service.
5.
Approximately 1,500 vacancies have arisen in all grades during this period and about 1,000 posts have been filled in the same period by various methods, open competition, inter-departmental competition and internal promotion. Of course, figures for vacancies arising and posts filled cannot be equated with nett number joining or leaving the system.
Can the Minister tell us if there has been any change in the one in three rule since last July?
I thought I had covered that aspect. The embargo is gone and has been replaced, as announced in the White Paper, by the introduction of the staffing target approach. The 1986 staffing target figures have been in place for quite some time.
Can the Minister tell the House what the effect of these changes has been since then?
As a result of the figures which have developed from this process, there have been some increases in a few areas of great need as in the Department of Social Welfare, the prison service and in the CSO with regard to the census. In all other areas there have been reductions. The overall effect has been the continuing downward total in the numbers employed in the Civil Service. There has been a reduction of over 200 in the current year.