Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 240: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of public servants in her Department who are employed full-time on the assessment, procurement, project management and delivery of infrastructure projects covered by the public capital programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12871/05]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 241: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the Government considered redeploying public servants to assist with the procurement and project management of infrastructure projects; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12883/05]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 242: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if, in view of the fact that the public capital programme is equivalent to 7.5% of GNP or 21% of total Government spending, she is satisfied that enough public servants in her Department are working in a full-time capacity on infrastructure projects; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12895/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 240 to 242, inclusive, together.

A total of 122.23 whole-time equivalent staff are assigned to the planning and building unit of my Department on work related to the public capital programme for the education sector, of whom 90 are in administrative grades and 32.23 are in professional and technical grades. These figures represent an increase of 29% on the total number of staff serving in this area in 2000. Apart from filling an existing vacancy for a quantity surveyor, it has been agreed to recruit a further quantity surveyor and an additional architect for the planning and building unit. Overall numbers in my Department have to be managed within the context of the Government's overall policy on public sector numbers. As regards the planning and building unit, apart from the additional professional staff being recruited, additional temporary contract administrative staff have been put in place as required to deal with particular demands.