andMr. MacSharry asked the Taoiseach the number of people employed in his Department in each of the last four years; the number of people employed in each of the same years without having taken part in a public competition; and the number of people employed in the past six months without having taken part in a public competition.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report a statement giving the information sought.

Following is the statement:

The two persons taken into employment in 1973 resigned in 1975.

One of the two officers taken on in 1975, for typing duties, was employed part-time on an hourly-fee basis for a period of ten weeks.