Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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396. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the projected annual cost of lifting the public recruitment embargo; and if this cost can be broken down to frontline staff. [34308/13]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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There is no embargo on recruitment in the public sector, rather there are annual staffing ceilings agreed out to end 2014 and a moratorium on recruitment and promotion for so long as public sector organisations are in excess of these ceilings. When public sector organisations are within these ceilings there is scope for some recruitment and there has continued to be targeted recruitment to key posts and services particularly Health and Education.

Given our fiscal position it is imperative that the public sector continues to reduce and control its costs, which necessarily involves maintaining a tight control on staffing levels. We cannot afford to return to the 2008 peak staffing levels in the Irish public sector, nor is it sensible. Through enhanced productivity and reform initiatives such as shared services we can achieve more effective, streamlined public services that delivers better value for money.