Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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174. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of exemptions requested by individual Departments, State agencies and local authorities to the moratorium on recruitment and promotion since its introduction in March 2009, by request, including the name of the requesting body and the reasons given; the number of exemptions granted for promotions, recruitments and redeployments; the decision reached; the costs incurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41167/15]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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As the Deputy will be aware,  I announced the ending of the Moratorium on Public Service Recruitment and Promotion as part of last year's Budget announcement, and at that time I also provided for the recruitment of a significant amount of new staff in the Health, Education and Justice sectors, among others.  As part of last month's Budget, for 2016, I agreed a further 2,260 teachers, up to 600 new Gardaí, as well as additional staff in Health and in Tusla - the Child and Family agency. 

To give effect to the decision to lift the Moratorium, during this year, my Department has been focused on rolling out new delegated staffing arrangements on a phased basis, which gives Government Departments more control over their staff resourcing decisions and allows them to recruit and fill vacancies in accordance with business needs and their pay ceilings.  

The details of exemptions to the Moratorium, which the Deputy requests, are  being compiled and will be forwarded directly. This information reflects difficult decisions required at the time under the Moratorium, which of course was an emergency policy response to a crisis in the public finances, caused by a fiscal and economic crisis.  The reductions to public service numbers and public service pay rates, which were agreed with the public service unions, have made a vital contribution to the recovery of the public finances and should be valued as a key part in the broader recovery in the economy. What will not be clear from a narrow focus on requests and decisions around exemptions is the impact of the public service reform agenda on enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of public services against the backdrop of reducing resources. The additional hours, changes to work practices and initiatives such shared services are an important part of a more rounded assessment of public service needs, performance and service levels as the country emerges from what has been a very difficult period.