asked the Minister for Finance in relation to those availing of the public service early retirement scheme, the numbers of persons who have received or who are entitled to receive lump sum payments in excess of (i) £30,000 (ii) £25,000 (iii) £20,000 (iv) £15,000 (v) £10,000; and less than £10,000.

Information in the detail requested by the Deputy in respect of persons availing of the public service early retirement scheme is not available in my Department other than in respect of the agencies coming within my area of responsibilibty. The Deputy might wish to table separate questions to individual Ministers in respect of their own areas.

The information in respect of my own area of responsibility is set out in the attached tabular statement, which I propose to circulate in the Official Report.

Lump sum payments under the early retirement scheme.

*These figures do not include 23 OPW industrial staff whose applications have been approved but whose lump sum payments have not yet been computed.

Can the Minister say whether as Minister for the Public Service he is in a position to advise the House as to what categories of civil servants and what income ranges are covered by those who have retired in all Departments, or is he merely talking about the Department of Finance?

I said I was talking only about my own Department here in the reply I am giving.

He is Minister for the Public Service.

There is no Department of the Public Service now. They are amalgamated with the Department of Finance. There used to be two full Cabinet Ministers doing it but now I have to do it on my own.