494 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of public sector places made vacant by maternity or other leave that have not been filled since the implementation of the embargo on recruitment and overtime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4254/11]

I am advised that it is not the practice in the public service to recruit staff to fill positions where an officer has gone on maternity leave or another similar type of leave. The undertaking and covering of work arising from such absences is met from within existing resources.

495 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs the proportion between office administrators and frontline staff in the public sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4267/11]

I assume the Deputy is referring to the deployment of staff across the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs.

As the Deputy will be aware, staff of my Department interact with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including members of the Government, public representatives and representatives of other Government Departments, Offices and agencies, as well as a wide range of groups and individual members of the public who use our services. In many cases, the provision of frontline services is delivered through intermediary bodies that receive funding from my Department.

A breakdown of the deployment of staff across my Department, by strategic priority and activity, can be accessed in my Department's Annual Output Statement, which is available on my Department's website at www.pobail.ie.