Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 60: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of persons working in her Department at the end of 2008, 2009 and 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1567/11]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The numbers of whole time equivalents (rounded to nearest whole number) employed across the Department for the years in question are as follows:

* In November 2010, a new Adoption Authority to replace the existing Adoption Board was established. These staff numbers will no longer be included as part of the Department's numbers in future. Also, from end 2010 staff employed at the Office of the Ombudsman for Children will be returned separately under the health agencies returns to the Department of Finance.

This reduction in overall staffing levels has been primarily achieved by way of the Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement, the Incentivised Career Break Scheme and the continuing moratorium on the filling of vacancies. It should also be noted that during this period over 35 people transferred into my Department as a result of the transfer of functions and responsibilities for childcare schemes and youth affairs from a number of Departments, the rationalisation of three public service agencies and taking on of responsibility for bioethics research.

In line with the Employment Control Framework (ECF) setting out Government policy on numbers employed in the public service, the numbers employed at my Department must be further reduced to 390 by 2014 and we will use all appropriate mechanisms such as re-organisation and re-allocation of work, including redeployment where necessary, to meet this target.