David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

-----which was fewer than half number the previous year yet staff costs have increased. In 2014, 3,821 applied for the service and at that time the cost of staff salaries was only €791,000. At a time when 3,821 were applying for the service, the cost of staff salaries was €791,000 and at a time when 585 people were applying for the service the cost of staff salaries is €1.492 million. I am not necessarily blaming Ms Higgins for this, it goes back to points that were made earlier. I suggest that again this is another botched job. We do things backwards. When the organisation needed the staff, it did not have them, and when the activity of the service is beginning to wind down staff costs have increased. Can Ms Higgins appreciate that point?