Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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142. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the full extent to date in 2017 of recruitment throughout the public sector in the context of economic recovery; the expectation in respect of future recruitment throughout the sector by the end of 2017 and thereafter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26373/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, in my role as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have overarching responsibility for workforce planning and recruitment to the Civil Service.

In Budget 2015, it was announced that there will be a targeted programme of recruitment into the Civil Service to address service needs and a shortfall in key skills commencing in late 2014 and continuing.  The Deputy will be aware that a number of open competitions have already taken place or are in the process of taking for recruitment to the Civil Service.

I understand from the Public Appointments Service, who are the independent recruiter for the civil service, that since then in the region of 4,900 civil servants, excluding temporary assignments and specialists, have been assigned to Government departments and offices across all general service grades from open competitions.

In the Civil Service in 2017, an Assistant Principal Higher and an Executive Officer competition have been held by PAS and I understand no one has been taken from the panels to date. 

These increases would of course be offset by people leaving the Civil Service including retirements.