Mr. John McCarthy:

Certainly. I can put the figures in context and the Deputy knows them well in his own area. In the middle of 2008, when the economy started to decline, the whole-time equivalent numbers across the local authority system were just over 37,000. At their lowest point, the figure was at 26,500, so it was a huge reduction in staff numbers. I suppose the system delivered considerable efficiency through a range of initiatives in order to be able to try to continue to deliver the range of services despite all of that. Staff numbers have now started to increase in local authorities and particularly in the housing area we have sanctioned a very significant number of posts in order to allow authorities support the delivery of their housing programmes. We have also made provision within the housing capital programme for certain staff costs to be funded through the capital programme as a means of trying to assist them financially.