asked the Minister for Health if he will state why his Department instructed the assistant county manager for North Cork sanitary area to set up an interview board to fill a temporary position in the Mallow District Hospital, if there was any reason for doing so and, further, whether there was any precedent for doing this.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mallow District Hospital.
It is my policy to ensure that in general medical appointments which are unlikely to be filled on a permanent basis for some time shall be advertised and an appointment made upon the recommendation of a competent selection board. The suggestion made to the local authority in the present instance was made in pursuance of that policy and was in accordance with normal practice, without any special relation to the present occupant of the post.
Is the Minister aware that his order, instruction, or request —I do not know what form it took— to the assistant county manager was unprecedented as far as we in Cork are concerned?
Certainly not unprecedented generally.
It was unprecedented as far as Cork was concerned.
Maybe it was unprecedented in regard to Cork, but not generally. I am trying to bring Cork into line with the rest of the country.
Are you afraid we are going wrong down there?