Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I will await what the Taoiseach sends me in respect of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Office of the Attorney General. Let me return to the general question. Leaving aside the exceptions which the Minister for Finance may grant, will everybody on a fixed-term contract of six months or one, two or three years, or in temporary employment be let go? For example, many hospitals have employed nurses on a fixed-term basis. When these contracts expire, will the nurses be let go? Is that the effect? Is that the Taoiseach's understanding of what is contained in this circular? Does he think, considering the extent to which fixed-term contracts have been used across the public service in recent years, front-line services can function in these circumstances?

Take any road or public infrastructure project. Most local authorities in the management of these projects employ a project engineer or a project manager, usually on a fixed-term basis. When these contracts expire, will the project manager be let go and what will happen to the project? Will county managers spend their time sending letters to the Minister for Finance seeking exceptions to the rule? Will everybody on a fixed-term contract lose his or her job, no matter what area he or she works in? Will he or she be let go on the date on which his or her contract expires?

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