Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

When somebody is on long-term sick leave, for example, and an additional person needs to be hired, there is an increase in the budget costs and the ETB is required to go back to the Department to seek sanction. The Department's view on this is that it is approving 85% of applications in that situation. I suppose the intention is for the ETBs to live within their budgets, not to exceed the amounts of money allocated in the budget at the start of the year, and to stay within the fiscal prudence envelope. I can pass on Senator Kyne's concerns to the Minister and he can ask me outside this forum if he has any clarifications he wishes to put to me.