Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

We must be the only Parliament in the world where Government makes a decision and the Head of the Government will not tell the House what that decision is until he goes out to a press conference to tell them first. However, I will leave that aside. My question relates to the special advisers, contract staff and non-established civil servants, who work in the Taoiseach's Department, many of them involved in political duties. The Taoiseach told the House the number of staff who are currently employed. Is the Taoiseach saying this number will not increase beyond today? If one of those staff from any of those categories, leaves, will he or she be replaced? Does the Government's decision today affect this in any way?

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