asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the reason why a student (name supplied) who passed an examination in agriculture held by his Department in 1963 for students who had attended a one-year course in agriculture at a State agricultural school, was refused permission to enter for the examination held in March, 1964 for agricultural officers grades 6, 7 and 8, the qualification for which was the satisfactory completion of at least one session at such a State agricultural school.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Agricultural Officer Examination.
2.
Candidates at the competitions for positions as agricultural officer, Grades 6, 7 and 8 were required to have completed satisfactorily at least one session at a recognised agricultural school or college. The individual concerned had attended for part of a session only, and accordingly was not eligible to compete.
Is the Minister aware that the individual in question received the same certificate for his attendance during part of the session as he would have received for a full year's course? Further, it was only on the advice of the superior of the college that he did not do a full year's course since he could receive the certificate in a shorter period. In those circumstances could the Minister state why his application for permission to enter for this competition was refused?
Two different matters are involved here. He may have been permitted to sit for the examination at the end of the course and passed the examination, even though he had not been there for the full year. In the conditions for the competition it was laid down that the candidate must have a complete year in an agricultural college. There was, of course, no reference to the examination to which the Deputy refers. The only stipulation was that a candidate must have completed a year in an agricultural college. The individual in question did not fulfil that condition and he could not, therefore, be admitted to the competition.
If a person does a full year's course but fails to procure a certificate, am I to take it that he would be permitted to enter for the competition, whereas a person who had not done a full year's course but had obtained a certificate would not be permitted to enter?
No.
That is what I understand from the Minister's reply.
It is possible that a person might compete in a competition and be subsequently found to be not fully qualified. Where the Commissioners are aware before a competition that a prospective candidate is not qualified they tell him so in order to ensure that there will be no misunderstanding.