Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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49. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has satisfied himself that there is sufficient transparency, accountability and oversight in the area of top level appointments in the public sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40481/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, open publicly advertised competition is a key principle of senior level appointments to posts across the public service reflecting the Government's commitment to ensure that such posts, which are central to the effective performance of our system of public administration, are filled by high-calibre candidates. 

In my area of direct responsibility, the civil service, recruitment in relation to senior level appointments above Principal Officer is undertaken by the Top Level Appointments Committee, TLAC. TLAC holds competitions for and advises, as appropriate, Ministers and/or the Government  on appointments to civil service posts at Secretary General and Assistant Secretary and equivalent levels. 

The policy on open competitions for Assistant Secretary and for Secretary General and equivalent posts has been in place since 2011. 

In relation to recruitment to the wider public service, various Government Ministers, in accordance with the legislation setting up public service bodies or agencies under their aegis, are responsible for matters relating to senior appointments in those bodies. 

Clearly the public interest is usually best served by opening public service posts to the widest possible pool of suitably qualified candidates. 

TLAC operates under the Code of Practice issued by the Commission for Public Service Appointments in accordance with the principles of merit, consistency, accountability, probity, best practice and professional confidentiality.

TLAC operates in an independent manner and strictly on the basis of open competition and merit. TLAC is responsible for determining its own procedures and remit, subject to Government decisions as appropriate.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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50. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to increase staffing levels and to ensure adequate funding for same in view of the clear connection between staff shortages and significant crises across the public sector in areas such as housing, health and, in particular, mental health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40480/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The provision for Public Service staffing numbers in 2017 is just under 315,000 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs). This represents an increase of over 8,000 or 2.7% on the 2016 outturn and an increase of over 25,000 or nearly 10% on 2014.

The corresponding provision for the Exchequer pay bill in 2017 is €16.47 billion. This is an increase of approximately €850 million on the 2016 outturn and approximately €2 billion on the 2014 pay bill.

In terms of the sectors specifically highlighted by the Deputy, in the health sector, at the end of June 2017, numbers stood at just under 111,000, an increase of just under 2,000 on the 2016 outturn. In relation to the Health Service Executive, there has been significant provision of additional staff in recent years, increasing by over 11,500 or 12% since 2013, of which approximately 90% would be front-line staff. In the same period, staffing levels in the mental health service of the HSE have increased by 1,744 or nearly 20%.

Much of the staffing dedicated to the area of housing is within the Local Authority sector where staffing allocations and resources are determined by the individual Local Authorities, with appropriate oversight by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. Across both the Department and the Local Authorities, nearly 30,000 staff are currently engaged.

Other Public Service staffing increases provided for in the 2017 Estimates include:

- over 2,500 in the Education Sector, including additional teachers, resource teachers and SNAs;

- an additional 500 Gardaí, and a further 500 additional civilian staff; and

- 400 additional staff in Children and Youth Affairs, including Tusla.

Allocations related to staff increases will be provided in the context of Budget 2018 and will build on the significant increase in resources that have already been committed to support increased service delivery in recent years.

The Deputy will appreciate the importance of ensuring that growth in public service numbers is achieved in a manner that supports the sustainability of both the public service pay bill and the overall fiscal position. The Government's success in this regard is evident from the figures I have set out on the increased numbers of public servants employed in priority front-line service areas against the backdrop of continued improvements in key measures of fiscal performance.