Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of former employees who have been brought back to work on contract, or others employed on contract to do work which has traditionally been done in-house in his Department and the agencies under his authority; and the way in which this practice fits with the intention of an embargo on recruitment. [36458/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that the Deputy's inquiry relates to recruitment policy in my Department, and the agencies for which I have responsibility, with particular regard to the decision taken by Government in December 2002 which set targets for staffing levels in the public service.

In this regard my Department, the Family Support Agency, the Pensions Board, the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman and Comhairle have not re-employed any former staff on a contract basis to carry out work for which the Department or the agencies are routinely responsible. The Combat Poverty Agency does from time to time employ former staff members to carry out special short term projects but does not replace staff owing to the Government's public service numbers policy.