Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 10 Jul 1990

Vol. 401 No. 4

Written Answers. - Employment Qualifications Review.

Patrick D. Harte

Question:

60 Mr. Harte asked the Minister for the Environment when he will introduce the review of the particulars of office and qualifications of Local Government/ Public Service jobs which at present exclude people from Northern Ireland who do not hold leaving certificate qualifications; and his views on whether the continued use of these regulations are partitionist in outlook.

Minister for the Environment (Mr. Flynn)

The offices for which I am responsible are those in the local authority service.

The position is that in the case of certain recruitment grades in the local authority service the qualifications provide that candidates are required to have obtained a certain standard in the leaving certificate examination or have passed an examination of equivalent standard. An appropriate standard obtained in the general certificate of education ‘A' levels examinations obtainable in Northern Ireland would satisfy the requirement laid down in the qualifications.

However under the particulars of office for some of these offices, local authorities have discretion as to whether recruitment shall be by competitive examination held by the local authorities themselves or by competition based on candidates' results obtained in certain leaving certificate subjects. Where local authorities opt for the latter method of recruitment they award points for results obtained in the leaving certificate for the purposes of placing candidates on panels from which appointments may be offered. This method of recruitment also applies, I understand, in the case of certain other public service posts. The local authority recruitment procedures are currently being reviewed.