Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Practical issues are coming up all the time. Some of these short-term contracts are expiring. Our attention has already been drawn to instances where services are being affected as a consequence of the contract not being renewed, whether for a nurse or a care worker. The issue of whether it will be renewed arises. The Taoiseach told us, the circular from the Department of Finance emphasised and the notes on the website state that all exceptions to the embargo must be approved by the Minister for Finance. We will have a duty as Members of the House to table parliamentary questions in respect of some of these individual contracts and where such cases arise. I wish to establish to which Minister we should address those questions. There is no point in addressing them to the line Minister if the line Minister has no say in the matter.

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