97. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of vacancies, including the grade, within his Department, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38310/24]

Over the past five years, the Department of Foreign Affairs has grown as Ireland’s diplomatic footprint has expanded and as our Passport Service continues to successfully meet high demand for passports with turnaround times at or well-ahead of target.

The Department now employs 2,164 civil servants, which is 522 more than at the end of 2019.

In that context, we currently have a small number of vacancies to be filled from panels established in recent or planned competitions.

The table below provides details of the civil service vacancies in the Department of Foreign Affairs as of 23 September 2024.