Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 144: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment 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 intended embargo on recruitment. [36457/05]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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A small number of former employees of my Department and its agencies have been brought back to work on contract, or others employed on contract to do work which, in some cases, was traditionally done in-house. This includes a number of temporary staff engaged each year to provide cover for staff availing of term-time work options, to provide maternity cover and staff engaged on short-term contracts to undertake specific assignments.

It is not the practice of my Department or its agencies to engage former employees and, or others on a contract basis unless it is absolutely necessary to do so and only occurs where the relevant expertise would not be currently available in-house. Where such staff are engaged, it is not done with the intention of circumventing the Government's staff numbers reduction programme rather it is to ensure that an optimum quality of service continues to be provided.

The Government decided in December 2002 that overall public service staffing levels be reduced by 5,000 in the period 2003 to 2005. In July, 2003, the Government requested that all Departments and public bodies contribute to the overall reduction in staff numbers. My Department and the agencies under its remit are meeting their commitments in this regard.