Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Department got notice of this question. I asked what the projected deficit for the end of year was and the Minister of State has not been able to provide that figure. She should have been supplied with it. I ask her to go back to the Secretary General, get that figure and send it on to me. We should have had it today. Everybody's fear is that there will be a delay in recruitment and that that is how the deficit will be addressed and what the Department will propose. We know the implications of that. It is service cutbacks or planned service improvements not taking place. A projected 6,000 staff were due to be recruited this year. How many of them have been recruited at this stage? What are the other means by which the Department will close the black hole of €2 billion identified at the start of the year?

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