Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)

Of the 10,600 civil servants affected by decentralisation, approximately 1,000 are specialist staff while the others are ordinary civil servants from various grades. Transfer to other Departments does not present a difficulty because civil servants currently transfer between Departments all the time. It will not impinge on efficiency by virtue of the fact that members of staff choose to move to a different Department.

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