The private notice question, in the name of Deputy Dr. Hennessy, postponed from Question Time to-day, will now be taken.
Private Notice Question. - Co. Mayo Librarianship.
The qualifications prescribed as essential for the post of county librarian were a good general education and training in, or experience of, library work. A diploma in library training and practical experience in office organisation were stated to be desirable, but not essential. A substantial preference was to be given to qualified candidates with a competent knowledge of Irish. If no such candidate were available for Mayo, the successful candidate would be required to comply with the terms of the Local Offices and Employments (Gaeltacht) Order, 1928.
There were five posts to be filled. The Selection Board, having interviewed all the candidates, reported that only five were fully qualified according to the terms of the advertisement. Two of these had a competent knowledge of Irish, the remaining three had some slight knowledge of the language. Preference having been given, as prescribed, to the two candidates who had a competent knowledge of Irish the five candidates were placed in order of merit and a choice of the five posts was given to the candidates according to their place in this order of merit. The recommendation of Miss Dunbar for the appointment in Mayo resulted from these arrangements.
Miss Dunbar had attended a course of library training in the National University and her library experience was obtained during a training of 1¼ years in the libraries of County Dublin and of Rathmines.
In constituting Boards of Selection to interview and report upon the merits of candidates for this, as well as other classes of local appointments the Local Appointments Commissioners take care to ensure that the Boards include persons possessing qualifications and experience allied to the post under consideration. In the normal course I do not know, nor does any Minister know, the names of the persons who have acted on the Selection Board. But I called for that information in this case and am in a position to state that the Board consisted of a University Professor and three librarians of much experience. As a Board for the purpose of the appointment in question, I am satisfied that this was a thoroughly competent one.
Mr. T. Sheehy (West Cork):
Does the President know that allegations of favouritism have been made in this case?
I have seen such suggestions in the Press reports of speeches made at meetings in Mayo. There is no foundation whatever for these suggestions. The lady in question is not a relation of any Minister —even if she were, I should not regard that as a proper ground for rendering her ineligible—but as it happens she is not. In regard to the allegations of religious prejudice, I may say that the Local Appointments Commission are not in a position to say what the religion of any particular member of a Selection Board may be. Selection Boards are not chosen on that basis. It happens that I am personally aware that every member of this particular Board is a Catholic.
Are we to take it from the President's statement that Miss Dunbar was not specifically selected for Mayo by the Local Appointments Commission?
No, that was her own selection. The selections went down in the order of merit of the various candidates, and she had the choice. In other words, she was not the lowest candidate on the list.
Would the President read for us the Local Appointments Order in so far as it deals with the Gaeltacht?
I have not got the Order, but it specifies a knowledge of Irish and a given period of time—three years, I think—in which to qualify, in the event of a person otherwise competent being selected for the position, and no person having a knowledge of Irish being otherwise competent.
I just want to amplify the question asked by Deputy O'Connell. Does the President know anything about the gentlemen on the Mayo sub-committee?
No.