asked the Minister for Education if he will state in respect of each of the grades of secretary, assistant secretary and principal officer in his Department, how many staff have professional experience in education as teachers or inspectors.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Staff of Department of Education.
111.
Of the officers of these grades in the Department three have experience in education as inspectors or teachers. It must be remembered that the basic duties of these officers are administrative and that they have advice on technical matters connected with teaching and curricula available to them from a corps of professional advisers composed of persons many of whom are of rank above that of principal officer.
Could the Minister say how many officers are in question —three out of how many?
The question the Deputy asked me was how many have these qualifications and I have given that information.
I asked for it in respect of each grade. The Minister has not given it in respect of each grade.
I have informed the Deputy that, of all the officers of those grades in the Department, three have experience in education as inspectors or teachers.
112.
asked the Miniser for Education if he will indicate the number of each type of professional staff now employed in the development unit of his Department; and how the present professional staff position there compares with the recommendations in paragraph 13.12 of the Investment in Education Report.
As regards the professional staff of the development branch of my Department the sanctioned establishment comprises:
one senior statistician,
one senior economist,
one senior sociologist,
three inspectors,
12 psychologists,
one audio-viual aids officer.
The Investment in Education report recommended a staff of four—a statistician, an economist, a sociologist and an inspector.
A competition was held recently by the Civil Service Commissioners for the post of senior sociologist but no suitable candidate presented himself. The Civil Service Commissioners propose to hold a further competition for this post at an early date and also to hold a competition for the post of senior economist.
Could the Minister explain the discrepancy here? He said, if I understood him correctly, that the recommendation of the Investment in Education Committee was a staff of four.
Yes.
In fact, in the relevant paragraph the recommendation is for a staff of five. The Minister appears to have skipped over the one that has not been appointed. The recommendation includes the following, if I may quote:
The fourth professional member of the unit should possess skills in the application——
The Deputy must appreciate that quotations are not in order during Question Time.
I am sorry. The next sentence then says that a further person is required. Why has the Minister omitted any reference to the fourth person with the qualifications recommended? Will he appoint such a person, and if not, why not?
The Deputy has mentioned that a staff of five was recommended, but if he had been listening to my answer he would find we have gone very much beyond this number. We have a very much larger staff, which shows the particular interest we have in this matter.
The Minister referred to the other staff which are not covered by this at all, psychologists. What he said was that a staff of four were recommended. Will the Minister say why he omitted the reference to the fifth member of the staff who was actually No. 4 on the list, and whether he proposes to appoint such a person and, if not, why not? I am afraid the Minister has misled the House.
I would not dream of misleading the House. The Deputy ought to be very pleased. There were only five recommended and we are proposing appointing 19.