asked the Minister for Finance in relation to the public service early retirement scheme as of 1 November 1988: (a) the total number of persons who have already availed of the scheme; (b) the total number of persons who have applied to take advantage of the scheme; (c) the total number of persons whose applications have been approved; (d) the total number of persons who have availed of or have been approved for the scheme in the following Departments and offices and categories — (i) Department of Finance, (ii) Revenue Commissioners, (iii) Office of Public Works, (iv) Department of Foreign Affairs, (v) Department of Education, (vi) primary school teachers, (vii) secondary level teachers, (viii) higher level teachers, (ix) Department of Energy, (x) Department of the Environment, (xi) Local Government employees and officers, (xii) Department of the Gaeltacht, (xiii) Department of Health, (xiv) health board employees and officers, (xv) Other health employees and officers, (xvi) Department of Defence, (xvii) Department of Justice, (xviii) courts officers and employees, (xix) Department of Industry and Commerce, (xx) Department of An Taoiseach, (xxi) The Houses of the Oireachtas, (xxii) Department of Agriculture and Food, (xxiii) Department of Social Welfare, (xxiv) Department of Labour and (xxv) Other Departments, offices and categories.

The details sought by the Deputy are in the form of a tabular statement which I propose to circulate in the Official Report.

Details of applications, approvals and resignations under the early retirement scheme.

*Relevant figures not available.

**Estimate.

In relation to items (a), (b) and (c) which refer to the total number of persons who have already availed of the scheme, the total number of persons who have applied to take advantage of the scheme and the total number of persons whose applications have been approved — I know I cannot ask the Minister to recite all the numbers — how many people have at this stage opted to take advantage of the public service early retirement scheme? How many have applied and how many have been approved?

It would take me a while to add them up.

Just (a), (b) and (c).

They are not totalled for me. The tabular statement is given on a departmental basis and it is left to everyone to total the figures for themselves. I am sorry about that but if I had the total figures I would give them to the Deputy.

The Deputy should await the tabular statement.