asked the President whether he has received a resolution unanimously passed at a special meeting of the Waterford Corporation, held on the 26th October, 1927, protesting against the present method of administering the Local Government (Officers and Employees) Act, 1926, in submitting only one name to a local body for appointment; and that it was their unanimous opinion that the Local Appointments Commission should be confined to the business of ensuring that none but qualified and suitable persons be recommended for public positions, and that the names of all candidates who have proved to be so qualified and suitable should be submitted to the local authority for their selection, as permitted by Section 6, sub-section 3 of the Act; and that they respectfully requested the Executive Council to take such steps as will ensure the Act being administered in future on the lines indicated, and, further, that the Commissioners be directed to act in this manner with regard to Borough Surveyorship of Waterford; and what steps, if any, he intends taking in the matter.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - WATERFORD APPOINTMENT.
I have received from the Waterford Corporation a copy of the resolution referred to by the Deputy. The question as to whether one or more names should be recommended to a local authority by the Local Appointments Commissioners is one for determination by the Commissioners in exercise of the statutory discretion vested in them by Section 6 of the Local Authorities (Officers and Employees) Act, 1926, and consequently is not one in which the Executive Council can intervene.
Is the President aware that by Section 3 (4) of the Act he has quoted the Commissioners hold office at the pleasure of the Executive Council, and if they are not discharging their duties according to the views of the Executive Council, whether the Executive Council would be prepared to remove them?
The answer to the last part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the other portion of the question there was no information placed before the Executive Council, nor has any information been adduced by any person that the Commissioners are not discharging their duties satisfactorily.
In view of the statement made at the meeting of the General Council of County Councils on this subject, is the President prepared to receive a deputation on the matter?
Certainly.
From the Waterford Corporation?
As far as that is concerned, I think it would be a considerable waste of money. This is one of the very few cases in which I have examined the whole of the proceedings, and I am not at all satisfied that there is a vestige of a case to be considered by me on the representations of anybody.