asked the Minister for Finance if, having regard to the findings of the Brennan Commission, he is prepared to absorb the anomalous grade of writing clerks into the clerical grade of the Civil Service.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Abolition of Civil Service Grade.
I am not prepared to abolish the grade of writing clerk, which was established specifically in order that temporary officers might be retained in the Civil Service who otherwise would have been discharged. Following consideration of the recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry into the Civil Service, I have, however, decided upon an increase of 4/- per week plus bonus in the maximum of the scale of writing clerks. This increase became effective from the end of last January.
Are we to take it that the Minister regards the report of the Brennan Commission as something which may be disregarded when it makes a favourable recommendation, from the point of view of the Civil Service, but as a sacrosanct document when it makes recommendations of a most objectionable type from the standpoint of the Civil Service?
The Deputy may understand nothing of the sort. I have had the fullest regard to all the recommendations made in the report of the Brennan Commission.
The Minister has torn up the report where it made a recommendation favourable to the Civil Service.