asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of full time solicitors employed in his Department and their remuneration; whether his Department have advertised for an assistant solicitor; if so, what salary was offered, when, and with what result; and if he will state the fees paid to counsel appearing in lieu of the post office solicitor in each of the past two years, naming such counsel.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Post Office Solicitors.
27.
Two full-time solicitors are employed in my Department, a permanent solicitor and a temporary assistant solicitor. The scale of remuneration of the permanent solicitor is £1,975 by annual increments of £65 to £2,335, and the remuneration of the temporary assistant solicitor is £965 a year. My Department did not advertise for an assistant solicitor. Established assistant solicitors for the Civil Service, including the Post Office, are recruited by open competition conducted by the Civil Service Commissioners. A temporary assistant solicitor was however recruited recently by my Department, pending the recruitment of an established assistant solicitor by open competition.
Fees paid to counsel appearing in lieu of the Post Office solicitor in each of the past two years amounted to:—
£309 3s. during the year ended 31st October, 1962 and £574 7s. during the year ended the 31st October, 1963.
The names of the counsel concerned were Messrs. D. Barrington, S. Breathnach, S. Butler, J. V. Coleman, B. J. Dixon, A. J. Hederman, S. McKenna and K. J. O'Connor, Barristers-at-Law.