Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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70. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of temporary contracts in place for the public sector as a whole, including State agencies and other public bodies under the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38831/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department has no public sector workers employed on temporary contracts. There are four statutory posts where the current incumbents would have fixed term contracts with the Department. These are the Chairperson of the Labour Court, the Chief Executive of the Labour Relations Commission, the Director of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, and the Controller of Patents in the Patents Office.

In replying, I have excluded those staff whose assignments in the Department are directly linked to my term of office as Minister, or the term of office of the two Ministers of State assigned to the Department.

I have asked all Agencies under the aegis of my Department to advise me of the number of public sector workers employed on temporary or non-permanent contracts, and I will communicate that information to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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71. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of contracts of indefinite duration that have been sought and the number that have been granted in the years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 in the public sector under the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38843/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Recruitment of staff to my Department is conducted through the Public Appointments Service (PAS), including through the redeployment mechanism introduced by Government to manage the reduction of numbers employed in the public sector in recent times.

Aside from the Chief Executive of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC), there are no contracts of indefinite duration for any staff in my Department - the staffing of the LRC being part of my Department's staffing complement. The contract of the Chief Executive of the LRC, whose contract has been extended over the years since his initial appointment in 1991, may, in accordance with Section 28 of the Industrial Relations Act 1990, be terminated by the Minister at any time subject to appropriate notice.

Personal appointments by Ministers (Special Adviser, Personal Assistant, Personal Secretary, Civilian Driver) are co-terminous with the period of office of the relevant Minister and are not considered contracts of indefinite duration in the normal sense.

Finally, I have asked the Agencies under the aegis of my Department to advise me of the number of contracts of indefinite duration as requested by the Deputy, and I will communicate that information to the Deputy as soon as it is available.