asked the Minister for the Public Service the procedures which have been laid down for the appointment of drivers for Ministers of State; if persons who have retired from the public service and are in receipt of State pensions will be eligible; and if priority will be given to people on the unemployment register.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Ministers of State Drivers.
13.
Civilian drivers are employed on the basis of a contract which includes a provision that the appointment will terminate not later than the date on which a Minister of State ceases to hold office.
The selection of civilian drivers is the sole responsibility of individual Ministers of State.
Are drivers paid directly by the Department of the Public Service or does the Minister of State pay them?
The question of payment of persons in the service of individual Departments is a matter for the Department concerned.
The Minister is not as forthcoming as he has been on previous questions. I am sure the Minister is aware that the State pay the drivers, who get their cheques monthly or perhaps weekly from the Department of the Public Service. Would he agree that in those circumstances the drivers should be employed from the unemployment register?
I am sorry Deputy De Rossa thinks I have not been as forthcoming with him as I was with his colleagues on the Opposition and I would not like him to get that idea. I think Deputy De Rossa is labouring under a misapprehension. The Department of the Public Service are responsible only for the payment of those who work in that Department. Each individual Department of State pay the wages or salaries of those who are working in the service of that Department and it was to that that I was drawing the attention of the Deputy when I replied to the earlier question.
In fact, the State is effectively paying the driver. It is not the Ministers of State who are paying them out of their own bank accounts, is that correct?
I certainly hope so.
In that case should not some guidelines be laid down as to where the drivers are recruited?
There were general guidelines given. The basic requirement is that the person involved has the ability to drive a motor-car. Presumably, other qualifications would be taken into account by the individual employing Minister of the Department concerned.
Are there special regulations in respect of these people. Does the Minister have to sanction their appointment?
As I said in the initial reply, the selection of civilian drivers is the sole responsibility of the individual Ministers of State. They are appointed on the basis that their lifetime within that service is as long as the term of office of the Minister of State.
Is the Minister saying that the Minister of State can employ anyone he or she chooses and that the Department or the Government have no say as to who may or may not be employed? For instance, there may be security reasons involved.
I appreciate that Deputy De Rossa would be very concerned to ensure that for security reasons——
The Minister is being very arrogant.
I would not like Deputy Fitzgerald to provoke me.
(Interruptions.)
What is the Minister covering up?
Naturally the suitability of individuals who are selected for employment will fall for clearance in the normal way. That procedure has been adhered to and will continue to be adhered to in the future.
Does the Minister agree that a Member of this House is entitled to ask questions of this nature? Did his Department approve of the number of drivers to be appointed and, if his Department laid down the guidelines, were they drawn up by individual Departments and, if so, were the guidelines different in each Department?
The answer to the first part of the Deputy's question is no; the answer to the second part of the question is yes and the answer to the third part of the the question is no.
If the answer to the second part of the question is yes, can those conditions be made available to the House?
If the Deputy was applying for one of these positions I suppose they would be made available to him.
That is a disgrace.