asked the Minister for Finance whether he will state the number of vacancies that exist in the various Government Departments at present for the post of writing assistant; whether he will state how many examinations are announced for these positions; whether before any more candidates are appointed, he will take steps to investigate the claims of these non-permanent clerks, who are already performing at proportionally lower rates of pay, the same duties as writing assistants; and whether due consideration will be given to those who have had service in a Government Department as temporary officers.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - TEMPORARY CLERKS AND WRITING ASSISTANTS.
There are at present about 450 writing-assistant posts blocked by temporary clerks. An open competitive examination for 50 writing-assistant posts was held in April last and a further open examination is to be held in October next for 50 additional posts.
The claims of the non-permanent clerks who were originally recruited without any test by way of examination have already been investigated. Three examinations for permanent situations, the tests in which were of a particularly easy standard, designed to suit persons who had long left school, were specially arranged for the benefit of these temporary clerks. In the last two of these examinations all who merely qualified were given permanent employment. The clerks who now remain temporary having failed to succeed in these easy examinations must be regarded as unsuitable for permanent retention.
The existing temporary clerks will have to be discharged as opportunity offers, but with a view to ensuring that the necessary discharges will be made uniformly and fairly and with a minimum amount of hardship an order of discharge has been devised which is of general application.
The employment of temporary clerks is not, as seems to be suggested in the question, less costly than writing-assistants.
Mr. BYRNE
Will the Minister say whether the comparatively easy examination to which he refers included 200 marks for Irish?
I could not tell you that.