asked the Minister for the Public Service whether the weight of an applicant for appointment to the Civil Service may be considered to render him ineligible under section 17 of the Civil Service Commissioners Act, 1956; and how the weight limits, overweight and underweight, are assessed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Civil Service Appointments
59.
Under section 17 of the Civil Service Commissioners Act, 1956, the commissioners are required to satisfy themselves, amongst other things, that an applicant for a position in the Civil Service "is in good health and free from any physical defect or disease which would be likely to interfere with the proper discharge of his duties".
The commissioners are medically advised that weight is one of the factors to be taken into account in deciding whether an applicant meets the foregoing health requirement. Each case involving what appears to be excessive weight is treated on its merits in the light of the medical advice given to the commissioners and, as far as possible, applicants found to be overweight are given an opportunity of reducing their weight and of then having their candidature reconsidered. There is no record of the Civil Service Commissioners having turned down a candidate solely because of underweight.
The Minister has quoted that the commissioners must be satisfied an applicant for a position in the Civil Service "is in good health and free from any physical defects or disease which would be likely to interfere with the proper discharge of his duties". I wish to state categorically that overweight or underweight is not an indication of ill-health and is not a physical defect or disease. I should like to know on what authority the Minister's Department state that slight overweight, or any degree of overweight, constitutes ill-health or a physical defect? In the instance the Minister quoted he is in breach of section 17 of the Civil Service Commissioners Act, 1956.
It is important that the Deputy and everyone else understand that the Department of the Public Service do not lay down these conditions. The Civil Service Commission are an independent authority, a statutory body under the chairmanship of the Ceann Comhairle, whose function it is to act independently in the recruitment of people to the Public Service. Very properly, they act on whatever advice is given them by the medical doctors who examine the applicants. They do not go behind the medical advice and if medical opinion is that a particular person is considered to be a medical risk the commissioners must act on that advice. I am sure as a medical man the Deputy appreciates how important it is that lay people should not purport to interfere with a professional opinion expressed by medical men in their sphere of competence. To some extent I share the view the Deputy has expressed regarding weight. Slight overweight or underweight is not, in itself, an indication of ill-health.
This is only a matter of the opinion of one person and, obviously, it contravenes the section and should be ignored by the Civil Service Commissioners. Weight should not be held against a person for appointment to the Civil Service unless there is some other illness or physical defect present.
I will certainly bring the Deputy's comments to the attention of the Commissioners and, no doubt, they will consult with the medical officers.