Vol. 176 No. 11
I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £21,740 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1960, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Civil Service Commission (No. 45 of 1956) and of the Local Appointments Commission (No. 39 of 1926, No. 15 of 1940 and No. 9 of 1946).
I wish to refer to this Vote which should be sacrosanct in so far as the people should have complete confidence in this Commission. The point I wish to raise is that where you have a Commission which is completely composed of persons from Dublin, as is often the case, there is a belief among the people that wherever there is a plum job going down the country some fellow from Dublin gets it. This Commission should be composed of people from all over the country. At times those who are appointed to it from different parts of the country do not attend. I feel that that should be changed and that they should attend.
I do not think that I can enter into the working of the Commission. As far as my knowledge goes they are completely honest and fair in their dealings.
I am not suggesting that they are not but there should not be the feeling that because the Commission is composed of people from Dublin all the good jobs down the country go to Dublin people. We should have people from all over the country serving on it.
Will the Minister draw Deputy Coogan's attention to the fact that the three Civil Service Commissioners are people who were not born in Dublin? One of them is the Ceann Comhairle.
I want to assure the country in that respect.
