asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy the number and grades of staff engaged in the Geological Survey Office; if he intends to increase this staff; and if he proposes that the Geological Survey Office, or other appropriate official body already in existence or to be created should engage in offshore mining exploration independently of commercial interests.
Written Answers. - Geological Survey Office.
286.
The number of permanent staff currently engaged in the Geological Survey Office is 41. In addition to the posts of director and assistant director the survey has the following grades:
Principal geologist, senior geologist, geologist, assistant geologist, senior technician, technician, draughting superintendent, supervising mapping draughtsman and mapping draughtsman.
Arrangements have already been made by my Department with the Civil Service Commission for the holding of competitions for the recruitment of a minimum of six additional personnel in the principal geologist, senior geologist and geologist grades. I expect the competitions to be held early next year. Proposals for increasing the staff in certain other grades are currently under examination in consultation with the Department of the Public Service.
In so far as mining and offshore exploration activities are concerned the basic role of the Geological Survey Office lies in the provision of advisory services to the State, the public and the mining and petroleum companies. The fulfilment of this role entails the collection and assessment by the survey of various data but does not involve large scale capital intensive exploration activities of the type undertaken by private commercial organisations. I do not envisage any significant change in the survey's role in these matters. Whether there should be an involvement by an official body in such mining and offshore exploration activities as are at present performed by commercial organisations is a question which can only be answered in the light of future results of existing activities in these fields.