Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour)
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111. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the public sector recruitment embargo might be lifted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8395/14]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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There is no embargo on recruitment to the public service.  There are restrictions under the Moratorium and we have sought to reduce, in overall terms, the numbers employed in the public service, but there has also been and will continue to be recruitment into key positions across the system - in health, in education, in some areas of the Civil Service and most recently in An Garda.    

Budget 2014 sets out a revised ECF for public service numbers of 287,000 by the end of this year.  The appropriate path beyond 2014 will be considered as part of this year's Comprehensive Review of Expenditure, which will examine public spending and resource issues in the context of the fiscal parameters, service demands and the reform and efficiency opportunities arising from the new Public Service Reform Plan, which I launched last month.