asked the Minister for the Public Service whether there is any section of the public service, the establishment of which is now smaller than it was in July 1977; and, if so, the section or sections involved.

The only section of the public service where numbers have decreased since 1977 is the Permanent Defence Force. Here, however, there has been a more than offsetting increase in the strength of the Reserve Defence Force.

Is it the case that since the Government changed in 1977 the only part of the public service that has not increased is the Army?

That is correct.

17.

asked the Minister for the Public Service the increased costs to the Exchequer in 1980, by comparison with the year 1977, attributable to the growth of numbers employed in the non-industrial civil service.

The annual cost to the Exchequer as at 1 January 1980 of additional staff employed in the non-industrial civil service since 1 January 1977 was £27 million.

How many people are involved?

Approximately 5,000.

18.

asked the Minister for the Public Service if he will outline in the form of a tabular statement (a) the number of staff employed in the public service, (b) the names of the different bodies over which his Department have responsibility, (c) the bodies over which his Department have (i) direct responsibility and (ii) indirect responsibility and (d) the total expenditure incurred by his Department in respect of all of the staff employed, together with the cost of running his Department in each year 1977, 1978 and 1979.

On the basis that (a) of the Deputy's question relates to the number of staff employed in the Department of the Public Service, the information requested by him is set out in a tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.

Following is the statement: