asked the Minister for Education if he will state under what circumstances he has refused to sanction the appointment of Mr. Cornelius McGiff, Cork, as school attendance officer under the Cork County Borough School Attendance Committee; if he is aware (a) that on the 15th December, 1931, out of nineteen (19) applicants for this position Mr. McGiff was selected as being the best qualified for the post; (b) that on the 29th December, 1931, the Town Clerk of Cork notified Mr. McGiff that his (McGiff's) appointment was approved by the City Manager and awaited the sanction of the Minister for Education; (c) that on the 15th September, 1932, at the request of the School Attendance Committee, Mr. McGiff was sent a test paper in Irish by the Town Clerk, the papers being forwarded subsequently to the Minister for Education; (d) that although Mr. McGiff fulfilled all the terms of the advertisement, including the Irish language qualification, the Minister refused to sanction his appointment; (e) that the Catholic Dean of Cork (Mgr. Sexton) has resigned from Chairmanship and membership of the Committee as a protest against the action of the Minister in refusing to sanction Mr. McGiff's appointment, and that the Protestant Dean (Dean Babington) has also resigned from the Committee for the same reason; (f) if the Minister will state in what particular Mr. McGiff has not satisfied the requirements of his Department or complied with the terms of the advertisements issued for the post; and if he will cause a full and adequate inquiry into the circumstances surrounding this case before sanctioning any appointment to the vacant school attendance officership in Cork.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cork School Attendance Officer.
A vacancy for a school attendance officer under the School Attendance Committee for the County Borough of Cork was advertised by the Committee in December, 1931. The number of applicants for the position was 61 (not 19). Only 19 applicants were selected for interview by the Committee. In a letter dated 18th December, 1931, from the Town Clerk, as secretary to the School Attendance Committee, Mr. McGiff was proposed for appointment, with the approval of the City Manager. The proposal was not sanctioned as, from official inquiries made, my Department was satisfied that Mr. McGiff did not possess the necessary qualifications in Irish. From the particulars of the applicants for the position on that occasion, it would appear that some of them possessed the required knowledge of Irish and were suitable types of candidates for the post. The School Attendance Committee was advised that the post should be re-advertised and that, meanwhile, in order to enable the work to be carried out, no objection would be offered to the payment of salary to Mr. McGiff in a temporary capacity up to the 31st July, 1932.
The vacancy was re-advertised by the Committee on the 17th August, 1932. Thirty-six candidates applied for the position. None of the candidates appears to have been interviewed by the Committee. On a resolution, Mr. McGiff was selected for appointment. In the course of discussion as to his qualifications in Irish, it was stated, according to the Press report, that "we can appoint him temporarily and he can be learning Irish at the same time." It would appear that afterwards the Town Clerk was requested to examine him in Irish. In a letter dated 22nd September, 1932, submitting his name for sanction for the appointment under Section 11 of the School Attendance Act, the Town Clerk, as secretary to the School Attendance Committee, stated that Mr. McGiff had been examined "in the paper set for the National Schools seventh standard for the current year," and submitted written answers. My Department has no information as to the seventh standard papers referred to, or as to the date on which they were available to the public, nor was the information submitted to me such as to show that Mr. McGiff fulfilled the requirements of the regulations as to his knowledge of Irish. Apart from this, however, the provisions of the School Attendance and Cork City Management Acts were not complied with, inasmuch as the Cork City Manager did not approve of the Committee's selection.
In the circumstances, it was not possible to sanction the proposed appointment.
Subsequently, on the 25th October, 1932, the Borough Council passed a resolution requesting that Mr. McGiff's appointment should be sanctioned—at least for a probationary period within which he would be expected to become proficient in Irish, and, in forwarding the resolution the Town Clerk intimated that the City Manager was prepared to approve of the arrangement with this object in view.
In the circumstances, I could not see my way to sanction the appointment.
The secretary to the School Attendance Committee has intimated that letters of resignation from the Committee have been received from the Right Reverend Dean Sexton and the Right Reverend Dean Babington.
In the circumstances of the case, as explained, I see no reason for the holding of an inquiry such as the Deputy suggests.
Is the Minister aware that the circumstances surrounding this appointment have caused a good deal of discussion in Cork City? Is he further aware that, although unanimously requested by the Cork School Attendance Committee, the Catholic Dean and the Protestant Dean of Cork have refused to reconsider their resignations from the Committee? Is he also aware that a meeting summoned for the 15th November could not be held owing to lack of a quorum, all going to show that the Committee are unanimous in their selection of this young man, McGiff, who, in contradiction of what the Minister says, has complied with the terms of the advertisement? One of the terms of the first advertisement was that the candidate should satisfy the requirements of the Department in seventh standard Irish. He has satisfied the requirements of the Department in seventh standard Irish, and his appointment was approved by the City Manager subject to the approval of the Minister for Education.
I am not aware that there has been considerable discussion in Cork City with reference to this matter. I do not think that the question of the reconsideration of the resignations of Dean Sexton and Dean Babington is a matter for me. With regard to the point that Mr. McGiff has fulfilled the conditions, the Department of Education, as I have stated in my answer, have no knowledge, beyond what has appeared in the Press, of the examination which Mr. McGiff is alleged to have passed. May I point out to the Deputy that on the previous occasion, when Mr. McGiff was appointed by the Committee and when we refused to sanction him, the Divisional Inspector, in a report to the Department, stated that he was satisfied that Mr. McGiff had not sufficient knowledge of Irish. The Deputy suggests he has such knowledge now, but no official information has been adduced to show that he has. In the circumstances I cannot see my way to sanction his appointment. I am not satisfied that he has sufficient knowledge of Irish.
If the Minister does not satisfy me on certain points, I shall raise this matter on the adjournment. Will the Minister be satisfied if I produce to him the original advertisement issued by the Cork School Attendance Committee, which is the governing body in this matter? That advertisement stipulated, amongst other things, that applicants should have a knowledge of Irish, that knowledge of Irish being measured by seventh standard. Not alone did Mr. McGiff satisfy the committee in a written examination, as the Minister stated, but he satisfied them in an oral examination. Many questions were flung at him across the table, all of which he answered in Irish to the satisfaction of the committee. The circumstances surrounding this case are so important to education that I intend to raise the matter on the adjournment.