Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 574: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of posts in the probation service not filled as a result of the moratorium on recruitment. [15293/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Probation Service has enjoyed a significant increase in resources in recent years, such that despite the impact of the Moratorium and other associated measures such as the Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (ISER) and the Incentivised Career Break Scheme (ICBS), the number of staff working in the Service is still greater than at the end of 2006 and only marginally less than at the end of 2007. Excluding those vacancies arising from staff availing of ISER and ICBS (both of which Schemes were specifically designed to reduce Civil Service numbers), 28 whole-time equivalent vacancies have arisen since the introduction of the Moratorium. Of these, 21 are in the ranks of Probation Officer/Community Service Supervisor with the remainder from Administrative Support Staff.

My Department and Probation Service management are keeping the situation under review and in the meantime are ensuring that the resources at the disposal of the Service are managed as effectively and efficiently as possible.