asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware that officers in the Civil Service in the Saorstát are desirous of transferring to Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and vice versa, and whether he is in a position to state when reciprocal transfers will be resumed.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - CIVIL SERVICE TRANSFERS.
I understand there is still a small number of officers in the Saorstát Civil Service who are desirous of transferring to Great Britain. So far as the Service generally is concerned, proposals for exchanges have been considered and approval given up to the present time in all cases where the required conditions have been satisfied and where the applicants have been acceptable to the respective Governments.
In the case of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, however, which was authorised to arrange transfers directly, transfers ceased in the beginning of 1924 in the circumstances mentioned in my reply to Deputy Johnson of 3rd February, 1925, and no alteration in the position then indicated has since been found practicable.
The whole question whether transfers generally between the Saorstát and British Civil Services should be permitted to continue is one which has been recently engaging my attention, and having regard to the fact that we are now recruiting persons for our service on conditions different from those in the British service, I am inclined to the view that it is not desirable to continue any longer the transfer arrangements which were found necessary at the time of the change of Government. The question is, however, being further considered.