asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food 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.
101.
The position in my Department is that in the period from 1 August to 4 November: (a) 32 officers requested that they be allowed to avail themselves of the early retirement scheme. None has yet actually retired; (b) three officers applied to be redeployed and their requests were acceded to; (c) 11 officers applied for career breaks and all applications were granted. Similar information in relation to the State-sponsored bodies coming under the aegis of my Department could not be collected in the time available. I will, however, communicate that information to the Deputy when it is available.
On 3 November the Government decided to extend the voluntary redundancy-early retirement scheme to all personnel aged 50 or over in the Civil Service, health boards and non-commercial State-sponsored bodies.