Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Finance the extent to which the target of reducing public service employment has been achieved. [7976/06]

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 83: To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to set targets in respect of public service employment over the three years 2006-08. [7960/06]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 86: To ask the Minister for Finance if the target of reducing public service employment by 5,000 was achieved; and if a target is being set for 2006-08. [7978/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 64, 83 and 86 together.

The policy on numbers employed in the public service has succeeded in cutting back on the rapid rise in public service employment in the period 1997 to 2002. From 1997 to 2001 there had been an increase of almost 43,000, or 19%, in the number of public service employees. From the introduction of the policy in December 2002 to the end of 2005, the increase has been of the order of 6,300, or just over 2%. This took place at a time of significant increases both in employment in the economy generally and in the population with the corresponding increased demand for public services.

Numbers employed in the Civil Service, defence, local authority and non-commercial State-sponsored sectors have been reduced by 3,700 and the target for this group has been exceeded. However, original targets in the health and education sectors have not been met because the Government has been prepared to increase numbers to meet priority needs in frontline and essential services, for example, new health units and the disability area in the health sector, special needs teachers in the education system and to increase the number of gardaí; this is in line with the approach stated when the policy was launched.

Total employment in the public service by the end of 2005 was close to 288,000. The Government has decided to continue to control and regulate numbers in the public service within the following agreed ceilings: Civil Service — non-industrials and industrials, 37,700; non-commercial State-sponsored bodies, 9,600; local authorities, 33,300; Defence Forces, 11,400; and Garda Síochána, 14,000. Given the nature and demands of the health and education sectors, further consultation is taking place between my Department and the relevant Departments before consideration is given to setting appropriate employment level ceilings in these sectors.

It is important that an appropriate balance is struck between the need on the one hand to provide resources to improve front-line services and the need on the other to control and regulate overall numbers in the context of providing value for money for the public expenditure involved.