asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that there is serious dissatisfaction among members of the Army and of the emergency forces because of the low percentage of service marks awarded to those men when seeking public appointments; and if so, if he will consider the desirability of increasing the percentage of such service marks in future.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Public Appointments: Army Service Marks.
The answer to both parts of the question is in the negative. I am not aware that there is dissatisfaction regarding the marks at present allowed for service in the Army and Auxiliary Defence Services. These marks were determined by the Government after very careful consideration, and I have no evidence that they are inadequate. I would remind the Deputy that, in addition to the grant of additional marks at open competitions, men who served in the Army during the emergency have been given several opportunities of entering the Civil Service through competitions confined to them. Numerous appointments have been made in this way and further similar competitions are being held.
Is the Minister aware that men who gave service in the Army and in the Emergency Services have just got a bare 8 per cent in some cases and as low as 1.6 per cent. in other cases? Is he further aware that in some cases where public appointments have been made, those who ignored the emergency services and attended to their studies have got positions which in the ordinary course might have been obtained by those who joined in the emergency services, if they had not joined these services but had attended to their studies? The general opinion throughout the country is that these emergency marks are an insult to the intelligence of the people who are getting them.
All I want to say on that is that the Government decided that where a man had given Army service, he would get substantial marks according to the length of time——
1.6 per cent.
——or according to the number of years a man served in the Army. Those who served in the local services, though not giving their whole time to them, got a substantial preference as well.