Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 6 Mar 1946

Vol. 99 No. 16

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Appointments to Medical Vacancies.

Risteárd Ua Maolchatha

asked the Taoiseach if he will state the particular medical positions filled during the year 1945, through the Local Appointments Commission; and, further, if he will state, in the case of each such appointment, the names of the persons forming the selection board and the approximate date of the appointment of the board.

The Taoiseach

I have here a statement setting out (a) the particular medical positions for which candidates were interviewed by the Local Appointments Commission during the year 1945; (b) the date on which the Local Appointments Commissioners selected the panel of members for each of the interview boards in question; (c) the approximate date on which the membership of each of these interview boards was completed; (d) the number of members of which each board was composed; (e) the date of the first sitting of the board; (f) the date on which the commissioners issued to the local authority the recommendation for the filling of the position. I must point out that the number of these positions filed during the year 1945 would depend on the dates on which the local authorities acted on the commissioners' recommendations by making the actual appointments.

As the statement is detailed and lengthy, I propose to circulate it with the Official Report. These interview boards usually consist of from three to six members and comprise from two to four eminent members of the medical profession, the chairman being a lay man. It frequently happens that for business and other reasons a number of those invited to act on a board find it impossible to do so. Accordingly, when selecting an interview board the commissioners also approve of a number of substitutes for each place on the board, so that if any of the first choices are unable to act one or more of the others can then be invited. The effective date of appointment of the board would, therefore, be the date on which the membership is completed in this way. Membership of an interview board is honorary and it is not desirable to furnish the names of those who have given their services for this purpose on the explicit understanding that all dealings between them and the commissioners shall be strictly confidential.

Following is the statement:—

TITLE OF POST	Date on which Local Appointments Commissioners selected the panel of members for the Interview Board	No. of persons invited to act on the Interview Board who were unable to act	No. of members on the Interview Board including in each case a lay chairman	Approximate date on which the membership of the Board was completed	Date of first sitting of Board	Date of issue to the local authority of Commissioners' recommendation for the filling of the post
Medical Officer,	Clane and Timahoe D.D.	22 November, 1944	Three	Three	15 December, 1944	4 January, 1945	15 March,	1945
,,,,	Johnstown	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	24 May,	,,
,,,,	Athenry	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	20 March,	,,
Physician, Galway Central Hospital	27 December, 1944	Two	Four	10 January, 1945	2 February, 1945	Position readvertised.
Medical Officer,	Dripsey Dispensary District	17 January, 1945	One	Three	27,,	15,,	3 May,	1945
,,,,	Co. Home, Enniscorthy	4 March, 1945	Nil	Four	8 March, 1945	21 March, 1945	9 July,	1945
,,,,	Ballyhaise D.D.	8 February, 1945	Four	Four	1,,	4 April, 1945	14 August,	1945
,,,,	Templemartin D.D.	30 April, 1945	Two	Three	10 May, 1945	23 May, 1945	30 July,	1945
,,,,	Meathas Truim D.D.	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	28	,,
,,,,	Tipperary	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	10 August,	1945
,,,,	Carna	,,	19,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	14	,,
,,,,	Dochary	,,	30,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	Position readvertised
,,,,	Newport	,,	22,,	Five	Four	9,,	5 June, 1945	1 September,	1945
,,,,	Newmarket	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	8	,,
,,,,	Feakle	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	4	,,
,,,,	Tralee No. 1	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	Recommendation not yet issued
,,,,	Summerhill	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	23 August,	1945
,,,,	Mitchelstown
	Nos. 1 and 2	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	10	,,
,,,,	Robertstown	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	28	,,
Physician, Co. Hospital, Tralee	19,,	Five	Four	29,,	7,,	10	,,
Medical Officer,	Cluinin D.D.	3 June, 1945	One	Three	15 June, 1945	5 July, 1945	2 November,	1945
,,,,	Annamoe	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	10 October,	,,
,,,	Ballinameen D.D.	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	10 September,	,,
Co. Medical Officer of Health, Co. Louth	24 May, 1945	Four	Six	14,,	24,,	26 October,	,,
Resident Medical Supt., Sligo Mental Hospital	21 June, 1945	Nil	Four	2 July, 1945	26,,	12 December,	,,
Visiting Medical Officer, Co. Home and Tuberculosis
Hospital, Rathdrum	13,,	Four	Five	13,,	31,,	13 October,	,,
Physician, Galway Central Hospital	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	12 September,	,,
Asst. Medical Officer of Health, Dublin Corporation	24 ,	Six	Four	2 August 1945	23 August, 1945	27 November,	,,
Medical Officer	Cullen D.D.	19 June, 1945	Twelve	Four	27 August, 1945	4 September, 1945	12 December,	1945
,,,,	Geevagh	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	30 November,	,,
,,,,	Raphoe	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	6,,	,,
,,,,	Castlefin	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	12 December,	,,
,,,,	Clonmany D.D.	4 July, 1945	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,
Asst. Medical Officer, Killarney Mental Hospital	24 ,,	One	,,	2,,	18,,	8 November,	,,
,,,,	Mullingar	,,,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	20,,	,,
,,,,	Waterford	,,,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	7 January,	1946
Medical Officer	Douglas D.D.	24 September, 1945	One	,,	3 October, 1945	18 October, 1945	4 February,	,,
,,,,	Fethard No. 2 D.D.	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	20,,	,,
,,,,	Camolin	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	12,,	,,
,,,,	Brideswell	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	1 March,	,,
,,,,	Kinnitty	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	13 February	,,
,,,,	Roscrea No. 2	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	4,,	,,
,,,,	Clonaslee	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	Recommendation not yet issued.
,,,,	Doochary	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,		,,
Asst. Medical Officer (Male), Ballinasloe Mental
Hospital	29 October, 1945	Three	,,	2 November, 1945	16 November, 1945	5 March,	1946
,,,,	(Female)	,,,,	23 September 1945	,,	,,	,,	,,	Position readvertised.
Medical Officer, Islandeady D.D.	4 October, 1945	Two	Three	23 October, 1945	19,,	2 February,	1946
,,,,	Killenaule	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	Recommendation not yet issued.
,,,,	Coolmountain	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,		,,
,,,,	Pallaskenry	,,	20 November, 1945	Three	Four	7 December, 1945	17 December, 1945		,,
,,,,	Inishboffin	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,		,,
,,,,	Killea	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	,,	5 March,	1946

General Mulcahy

Will the Taoiseach say if the names for the selection board are selected from panels of persons who have already agreed to act in this way?

The Taoiseach

I am not so sure that that would be true all the time. They are probably asked if they are agreeable to act. I do not know whether in all cases it would be strictly out of the existing panel. There may be a case in which it might be desirable that, for some particular position, someone else might be added. I am not saying that that is so, but I think it is likely. I do not know.

Mr. Dillon

Would the Taoiseach tell the House if it is a new departure to provide that, where four candidates apply, say, for a dispensary vacancy, instead of examining the four candidates with a view to placing them in the order of merit for one dispensary——

An Ceann Comhairle

That is quite a different question from the one that is here.

Mr. Dillon

What is?

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy's question about four candidates for one dispensary.

Mr. Dillon

I had not finished. I asked whether a practice has grown up of holding one examination for four dispensaries with the result that not only is the first in order of merit given a position, but men who are placed second, third and fourth in order of merit are also given dispensaries, and the whole purpose of holding an examination in order to select the best man amongst the candidates is defeated.

The Taoiseach

The Deputy knows that that is the work of a statutory commission and, therefore, in relation to any question addressed to me in that connection, I would have to ask for information.

Mr. Dillon

Perhaps the Taoiseach would look into that aspect of the matter, inasmuch as this system, instead of ensuring that the best man amongst them is chosen, results in the whole panel of candidates being given appointments.

The Taoiseach

I think that would be unlikely.

Mr. Dillon

It is actually happening.

The Taoiseach

I am not so sure.