asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if it is the policy of his Department to employ as night telephonists persons who also hold regular full-time employment outside the public service; if he is aware that many unemployed persons have been refused employment as night telephonists; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Night Telephonists.
4.
My Department's policy in recruiting telephonists, day or night, whole-time or part-time, is to secure the services of people who will be the most suitable for the work and thus capable of giving to telephone users as high a standard of service as possible. Applicants accordingly are assessed on that basis. So far as part-time night telephonist posts are concerned experience has shown that, in general, these are not attractive to unemployed persons because the remuneration attaching to the relatively short attendances involved would be generally less than the current unemployment benefits.
Is the Minister aware that a number of persons who are registered as unemployed applied for positions but were not successful? Is he aware that on other occasions they were informed that vacancies did not exist? Is he further aware that when vacancies did occur persons who held outside employment were given the posts even though they were earning between £40 and £60 per week? Is the Minister amenable to the policy of having persons being allotted a second job when there are others badly in need of a single job?
As I pointed out to the Deputy, my Department's policy in recruiting telephonists is to secure the services of people who will be the most suitable for the work. Not all people are suitable for this work and there have been, from time to time, complaints, including complaints from the Opposition benches, about the standards of service being supplied by night telephonists at present. In these circumstances my Department does not consider it would be justified in excluding from consideration for part-time telephone work persons in full-time employment. In practice such a policy would be very difficult to implement. My main concern has to be with the efficiency of the telephone service which is not all that we would like it to be and which we are anxious to improve. I do not think it would be improved by adopting the Deputy's suggestion.
I should like the Minister to have another look at this policy because it is hard for unemployed people to accept a refusal from the post offices when they apply for these positions when they know that people who hold other jobs which pay high remuneration are being appointed. Surely the Minister is not implying that the people who are unemployed are not capable of operating the night telephone system.
I can assure the Deputy that other things being equal preference would be given to an unemployed person but at first there would have to be a test of suitability. In practice, not everyone employed or unemployed is temperamentally or otherwise suitable for this work and the Deputy is aware of that.
What system is used in the Department to ensure that first priority is given to unemployed people?
These people are appointed by interview and it would always be found whether they are employed or unemployed.
Can the Minister give a categorical assurance that such is the position?
I am not about to give the Deputy a categorical assurance but I assume the board would find out whether a person is employed or unemployed. I assume that as between suitable persons they would give preference to the unemployed. However, if the Deputy wishes I shall find out what the position precisely is and I shall convey the information to him.