Mary Wallace
Ceist:65 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Health the effect, if any, of the Civil Service recruitment embargo on his Department and each body under the aegis of his Department. [14229/95]
Written Answers. - Civil Service Recruitment Embargo.
Limerick East): In the case of health agencies the Government decided that recruitment could proceed in line with the parameters on overall public spending set out in the Government statement of 8 June 1995. This has enabled health agencies to address urgent service needs in areas such as child care, services for the mentally handicapped, acute hospital services, HIV/AIDS and drug misuse prevention where recruitment to additional posts is on-going.
For the Department, the benchmark figure for staffing purposes includes posts filled and those for which the sanction of the Minister for Finance had already been obtained on or before 9 June 1995. Vacancies arising within the ceiling may be filled in the normal way. While no new posts may be created, this has had no effect to date on the ability of my Department to discharge it's functions effectively.