asked the Minister for the Public Service if, in view of the present unemployment figures, especially among young people, he will declare it to be Government policy that all recruitment in the public sector to part-time posts will be confined to persons who are unemployed; if he will issue a circular to this effect to all State-sponsored bodies; and if his attention has been drawn to cases of persons holding full-time employment in the public service who are also engaged part-time by State-sponsored bodies.

It is already Government policy that, subject to the over-riding consideration of suitability, preference should be given to unemployed persons in recruitment to part-time positions in the civil service. I am arranging that State-sponsored bodies be asked to follow the same policy in regard to their part-time posts.

As regards the last part of the Deputy's question, I am not aware that persons holding full-time employment in the civil service are recruited to part-time posts in the State-sponsored body sector—as distinct from being given casual engagements in their spare time on the basis of a payment per engagement.