Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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253. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of public and civil servants who were recruited under the aegis of her Department in 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21113/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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As the Deputy will be aware there was a moratorium on recruitment across the civil and public service during 2014. Also, like all other Government Departments, the Department had to operate within an employment control framework (ECF) target determined by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. As an exemption to the moratorium, the Department received sanction to recruit externally to establish a panel of Medical Assessors. 7 Medical Assessors were appointed during 2014.

In relation to any other critical vacancies, the only sources available to the Department to recruit staff to fill critical vacancies were from the redeployment panel operated by the Public Appointment Service and the transfer of staff from other Government Departments and the wider Public Service.

The Department has sanction to recruit temporary Clerical Officers (TCOs) for the Public Services Card Programme. A total of 202 TCOs were employed in the Department at the end of December 2014).

In addition, the Department received sanction outside its ECF, to recruit temporary staff for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme and 51 TCOs were employed between June and September 2014).

The Department also has sanction to recruit TCOs to cover critical posts that became temporarily vacant due to long term absences e.g. maternity, shorter working year scheme etc. These numbers fluctuated during the year and at the end of 2014 there were 102 such TCOs working in the Department.