asked the Minister for Finance the numbers of staff in the Public Service who have since 1 August, 1987 (a) applied for early retirement (b) applied for redeployment and (c) applied for career breaks; the numbers of staff who have been accepted by his Department for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Staff Numbers.
30.
(a) Until the recent Government decision, the scheme of voluntary redundancy-early retirement was only applied in areas where identified redundancy or overstaffing existed or was reasonably expected to arise and could not be fully met by redeployment. No such areas have been identified in this Department. As a result of the Government decision, however, to extend the scheme to serving officers over 50 years of age, officers in the Department who fall into that category will now have to be offered the scheme.
The position in the offices under my aegis is that 346 officers have applied for early retirement. To date 34 officers have been accepted for the scheme.
(b) Since 1 August 1987 six officers in my Department have applied and been accepted for redeployment.
Forty-four officers in offices under my aegis have applied for and been accepted for redeployment and a further four applications are being considered.
(c) Fifteen officers in my Department have applied for career breaks since 1 August 1987 and 11 of the applications have been granted.
The position in the offices under my aegis is that 115 applications have been received for career breaks. Ninety two of these applications have been granted to date.