asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the number of clerical officers (general service) who have been appointed to the clerical grade of the Civil Service in each of the past five years by means of (a) open competitive examination, and (b) limited competitive examination; and whether he is prepared to provide a bigger outlet for promotion of writing assistants by having a larger proportion of vacancies filled by limited competition.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Civil Service—Clerical Grade.
The answer to the first part of the question is in the form of a tabular statement which, with the Deputy's permission, will be circulated with the Official Report.
As regards the second part of the question, the opportunities afforded to lower grades, by means of competitions confined to their own members, to enter higher grades for which open competition is the normal method of recruitment are subject to the requirements of the Service from year to year. No fixed proportion of vacancies is reserved for candidates from either the open or limited competition. The number of places filled from either source must be determined by the varying needs of the Service.
The following is the table referred to:—
CLERICAL OFFICERS (GENERAL SERVICE)
Appointed in each year from 1933 to 1937
|
Year |
Open Competition |
Limited Competition |
|
1933 |
107 |
8 |
|
1934 |
319 |
89 |
|
1935 |
256 |
59 |
|
1936 |
175 |
50 |
|
1937 |
106 |
50 |
Would the Minister say whether, having regard to the large number of writing assistants employed in the Service and the relatively limited opportunities at present available to them of securing promotion to the clerical grade, he would give sympathetic consideration to the question of making further outlets for them to that grade available?
The position of writing assistants has already been considered very sympathetically by the Minister for Finance. The first consideration in the Minister's mind is the general standard of the Service, and those who come in by open competition seem to be better qualified than those who come in otherwise.