Public service: The Government promised to keep a tight rein on public service job numbers in yesterday's Budget.

Staffing levels have increased by 10,000 since former minister for finance Charlie McCreevy announced a cap on the existing level in the December 2002 budget. Mr McCreevy also said the number would be reduced by 5,000 over the following three years.

A spokesman for the Department of Finance insisted last night that the policy announced by Mr McCreevy was being successfully pursued.

Overall, job numbers had increased, he said, because the Cabinet had sanctioned special increases in health and education.

CSO statistics show that 336,000 people were employed in the public service when Mr McCreevy made his announcement three years ago, compared to the latest figure of 346,200.

In his Budget speech yesterday, Mr Cowen said total employment in the public service was 290,000.

His spokesman said the apparent discrepancy was explained by the fact that the CSO calculated the figures on a different basis from that used by the department.

The CSO's figure included part-time workers, he said, whereas the department counted the equivalent of full-time posts.

There had been 282,000 such posts when Mr McCreevy announced the cap on numbers. Since then 7,700 additional jobs had been sanctioned in the health and education sectors.

In other areas of the public sector, however, such as local authorities and semi-State bodies, job numbers had been reduced in line with the targets set by Mr McCreevy.

Mr Cowen said yesterday the Government would continue to control and regulate staffing levels within agreed ceilings.

Limited increases would be allowed in some key non-administrative areas, particularly in health, education and the Garda.

"This is the correct strategy to follow," he said.