Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 119: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of retirements in her Department since march 2011; the total number of staff currently employed by her Department; the total amount spent on wages on contract workers and permanent workers respectively; the number of new staff employed, temporary or permanent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28077/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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A total of 347 staff have retired from my Department since March 2011 and there are currently 6,826 permanent staff serving in the Department, equating to 6,435 posts. Since March 2011, 201 staff have been assigned to fill critical vacancies in my Department by way of redeployment or the lateral transfer of staff from other Government Departments and agencies. A further 713 staff were employed in a temporary capacity during the period since March 2011; of this group, 260 currently remain on contract with the Department.

The amount spent on basic pay for my Department from March 2011 to date is just over €313 million. Almost €307 million of this was attributed to permanent staff and just under €7 million was in respect of temporary contract staff.

In line with the requirements to allow recruitment in exceptional cases, three Medical Assessors have been appointed since March 2011 with sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.