asked the Minister for Local Government whether he is aware that officers and soldiers who served in the Defence Forces during the emergency and who became employed by local authorities subsequently were not treated in the same way in the matter of increments as their comrades who became members of the Civil Service, the Electricity Supply Board and similar bodies; and, if so, whether he will take appropriate steps to see that the same number of increments are given to those ex-servicemen now in the service of local authorities.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ex-Servicemen.
In the filling of posts under local authorities candidates who have had service in the Defence Forces during the emergency are allowed certain concessions but such persons if appointed are required to enter at the minimum of the salary scale for the post. There have been no examinations for posts under local authorities in which competition was confined to candidates who served in the Defence Forces during the emergency as the nature and extent of the local examinations did not lend themselves to such an arrangement. It was in connection with such confined examinations for Civil Service posts that extra increments were allowed on entry. In the circumstances it is not proposed to take action on the lines suggested in the Deputy's question.