Vol. 498 No. 6
26 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Finance if he will list by grade, designation, Department or other available description new public service appointments in respect of which allocation has been made in the Book of Estimates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28043/98]
At this stage, I am unable to provide this information as the details of staffing by grade and Department will only be known when the details of the 1999 Estimates allocations have been settled. However, I do have information regarding the overall projected level of recruitment to the different sectors in the public service in 1999, based on the approved Estimates allocations for Departments and Departments' best estimates of additional recruitment arising from these allocations.
On the basis of this information, approximately 7,150 extra staff are expected to be employed in the public service at the end of 1999. Most of these extra staff will be recruited in the health sector, where numbers are expected to increase by approximately 5,000 due to service improvements. A further 1,300 or so will be recruited in the education sector. The balance of the increase will be in the Civil Service and other sectors.
I would point out to the Deputy that the recruitment of extra staff inevitably arises from increased allocations for priority services, mainly in health and education. The Government will confine increases to those areas which have the most direct and effective impact on the provision of necessary public services, having regard to the Government's overall budgetary policy.
