asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the number of Old I.R.A. men who have served for 20 years or upwards in an unestablished capacity in the Civil Service; and if he will consider taking steps to give those men the security of establishment.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Old I.R.A. Men in Civil Service.
As regards the first part of the Deputy's question the particulars sought are not available in departmental records and could be compiled only by addressing inquiries to individual officers. As the replies to these inquiries would themselves need further to be corroborated the information could not be assembled without a disproportionate expenditure of official time.
In any event the question of establishing unestablished officers must be considered in relation to the particular grades to which they belong. The grant of establishment to unestablished civil servants is, in general, a subject which is proper for consideration under the conciliation machinery for the Civil Service. Under that machinery arrangements are frequently made for the holding of competitions for established positions confined to serving temporary officers.
The forgotten legion!