Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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390. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of applications for extra staff that have come from Kildare County Council in the past three years, particularly for the library service. [15350/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department operates a delegated sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for implementation of the moratorium on recruitment in local government. Any exceptions to the moratorium in local authorities require sanction from my Department.

My Department examines all staffing sanction requests on a case by case basis having due regard to the continued delivery of key services in the context of staffing and budgetary constraints. In considering sanction requests, public safety, maintaining key front line services, and economic issues are given precedence.

My Department received sanction requests in respect of 142 staff from Kildare County Council from 2011 to date. Of these, 5 sanction requests related to the County Library Service, all of which have been approved.