601. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the number of civil and public servants employed by his Department in each of the past ten years, in tabular form. [33957/26]

The Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) was established in 2017 and following a transfer of functions in June 2025, the Department became the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG). As a result, DRCDG has had a significant increase in staff numbers in 2025. The information requested is set out below. Staff numbers for each year are as at 31st December of each year, in line with accounting practices. The 2026 figure relates to the current number of staff in the Department. From 2025 the figures include 13 staff in Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga.