asked the Minister for Local Government if he will consider holding an examination confined to district engineers' clerks to fill a limited number of posts in clerical officer grades in local authority employment.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Authority Clerical Officer Posts.
13.
The filling of posts of clerical officer in the local authority service is a matter for each local authority, subject to prescribed conditions as to qualifications, public advertisement and open competition. No amendment of the qualifications for the office of clerical officer and the requirements as to public advertisement that would enable local authorities to promote engineers' office assistants to posts as clerical officers is contemplated.
Would the Minister not consider, in view of the fact that other Departments have used this system of a confined examination for promotional purposes, that it might be used in this case?
I do not think we could depart from the usual practice for this particular category.
Does the Minister not appreciate the fact that these people are doing clerical work and are classed as servants? If they were allowed to compete in a confined examination, they would possibly turn out to be excellent clerical officers.
I do not think the question of classification makes any difference.
It makes a lot of difference to the wage packet.
Not necessarily.
There is a lot of difference between £9 2 and £11 2.