David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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180. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of agency and or locum staff hired by her Department for each of the years 2011 to 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21671/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advice the Deputy that my Department and the Agencies under its remit use the services of the State's independent recruitment office, the Public Appointments Service, to the maximum extent possible.

However, in order to deliver the business of the organisation, it is necessary for my Department and its Agencies to occasionally engage the services of external recruitment or employment agencies. The following tables contain the relevant expenditure by my Department and its Agencies during the period in question as requested by the Deputy.

Office of the State Pathologist

Irish Human Rights Commission (this body was incorporated into the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission - an independent body - with effect from 1 November 2014)

Irish Prison Service

The Department has also employed a number of locum probation officers to address short term vacancies in the Probation Service during the period in question. These locum probation officers were employed with the Department in an unestablished capacity on fixed term contracts. The cost of employing these staff was €73,633 in 2014 and €212,150 in 2015.

In respect of the Courts Service, the relevant material is currently being collated and will be provided to the Deputy shortly.