asked the Minister for the Public Service if the Government have any plans to review their recruitment policy for the public service, whereby only one in three vacancies can be filled, in view of the evidence that this policy may be creating difficulties for some Departments.

As announced in the national plan, the Government decided that the general policy on filling vacancies in the public service will be maintained until the end of 1987.

Having regard to the huge increase in public service numbers in the seventies and particularly in the period 1977-1981, the Government are satisfied that considerable scope for staffing efficiencies still exists. Any temporary difficulties arising are being alleviated by a policy of redeployment of staff to the areas where they are most urgently required.