Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 190: To ask the Minister for Finance if the public service embargo will be relaxed in order to recruit either temporary or permanent specialist staff in the context of decentralisation; if so, the limits which have been set as to the number of staff that will be sanctioned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39885/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I refer the Deputy to Question No. 66 of Tuesday last relating to the target of reducing public service employment. No embargo is in place. The Government has followed a policy of reducing public service employment since December 2002 under which the growth in public sector employment has slowed substantially overall and has been reversed in several areas. The Government will continue to control and regulate numbers employed in the public service within agreed ceilings. Organisations can recruit staff within the overall ceiling which has been agreed for their sector. The natural wastage which was evident in the successful implementation of the reduction in numbers will again be used to minimise pressure on employment levels during the decentralisation programme.