Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of agency and contract staff currently employed under the aegis of her Department; the mechanism in place for monitoring and managing the associated costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10978/13]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will outline the numbers and cost of agency staff under the aegis of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11058/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 260 and 262 together.

I presume the Deputy is enquiring about the use of agency or contract staff engaged to meet a short-term service need or where some flexibility in staffing a service is required. In that regard, I can confirm that my Department, the Family Support Agency, the Adoption Authority of Ireland or the Children Detention Schools do not presently engage such services.

The National Educational Welfare Board has advised that it has a contract for services in place to provide data operators for inputting school return data and that two such staff are currently being used. The cost to date in 2013 has been €8,745.

The engagement of persons under contacts for services or on an agency basis is subject to strict public procurement controls and costs are kept under constant review.

The information requested relating to the Office of the Ombudsman for Children is not readily available in my Department. I have requested the Ombudsman to provide the information directly to the Deputy.