Vol. 311 No. 6
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if his attention has been drawn to an article in a daily newspaper (details supplied) where his Department is reported to have placed an embargo on the transfer of engineers seeking jobs in other areas of the public sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
169.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if Post Office engineers are entitled to apply for posts in the ESB; if the qualifications of these engineers render them qualified to apply for the post of engineer in the ESB; the number of people who have transferred from his Department to the ESB over the past five years; if his Department has any views on such transfers; if the posts advertised in the ESB in November 1978, interviews for which are presently being held, are open to Post Office engineers; if such Post Office engineers as have applied will be called for interview; if Post Office engineers have transferred to the ESB over the past few years, and, if so, the number; and if the Department have any explanation for the large-scale transfers which have taken place.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 169 together.
My Department have neither placed, nor have they any power to place, an embargo on members of the staff seeking employment elsewhere. The questions as to the qualifications required for posts of engineer in the Electricity Supply Board and whether staff of my Department who applied for posts advertised in November 1978 by the ESB will be called for interview are matters for the Electricity Supply Board.
The number of engineers from my Department who transferred to the Electricity Supply Board over the past five years was, so far as is known, nine; as my Department has some 260 engineers serving currently, this number can hardly be considered a large-scale transfer. As regards an explanation, presumably the engineers concerned considered the other employment more attractive.
