Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The supplementary question asked by the Deputy about relocation is the subject of Question No. 65, which we will deal with later.

I agree that a staff of three is inadequate. The view of the Chief of Staff, who is responsible for the section, is that a staff of five is necessary. Two people retired last October and I have given the authority the go-ahead to have them replaced. Sometimes if the authorities need to fill one of these vacancies, they regard it as necessary to have them trained and the new staff must undertake a course lasting between six and nine months in UCD. I have expressed my concern to the Chief of Staff regarding what might happen in the meantime and I have asked him to consider the possibility of bringing in people from the private sector, as happened previously, to meet any temporary hiatus in this section. I have expressed my views forcefully on this matter to the Chief of Staff and I will do so again later this week. In the meantime, I am committed to hiring the two additional staff but people may have to be brought in from the private sector if demand is such that they are required.

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