asked the Minister for Finance if he will state in respect of each of the last ten financial years (a) the number of persons appointed by the Civil Service Commissioners to examine candidates as to their competence in the use of Irish, (b) the number of such examinations, (c) the number of candidates (i) who entered for such examinations and (ii) who were passed as having a competent use of Irish, and (d) the cost of such examinations.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Examinations for Competence in the Use of Irish.
11.
Mr. Ryan
The reply is in the form of two tabular statements which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to have circulated with the Official Report.
Statement A covers Irish tests of all kinds conducted by the Civil Service Commission except tests in written Irish forming part of an examination in general subjects.
It is not possible from the records available to give, in respect of all the cases covered by Statement A, the information sought by the Deputy at (b) of his question. It is, however, possible to give the information in respect of such of the tests included in Statement A as consisted of Irish examinations held in connection with Interview Board competitions at which priority is given to qualified candidates having a competent knowledge of Irish; Statement B sets out the position in respect of such competitions.
Following are the statements:—
STATEMENT A.
|
(c) |
(d) |
||||
|
Year |
(a) |
(b) |
(i) |
(ii) See Note 2 |
—See Note 1 |
|
£ |
|||||
|
1949-50 |
187 |
3,442 |
2,972 |
2,532 |
|
|
1950-51 |
175 |
3,542 |
3,111 |
2,295 |
|
|
1951-52 |
165 |
Information not available |
3,873 |
3,241 |
2,917 |
|
1952-53 |
203 |
5,275 |
3,951 |
3,017 |
|
|
1953-54 |
181 |
4,669 |
3,770 |
2,964 |
|
|
1954-55 |
202 |
5,198 |
4,177 |
2,732 |
|
|
1955-56 |
194 |
4,252 |
3,371 |
3,187 |
|
|
1956-57 |
177 |
4,197 |
2,756 |
3,364 |
|
|
1957-58 |
176 |
3,994 |
2,839 |
3,554 |
|
|
1958-59 |
183 |
4,712 |
3,318 |
3,904 |
STATEMENT B.
|
Year |
(a) |
(b) |
(c) |
(d) |
|
|
(i) |
(ii) |
—See Note 1. |
|||
|
£ |
|||||
|
1949-50 |
7 |
45 |
333 |
84 |
288 |
|
1950-51 |
5 |
42 |
365 |
46 |
300 |
|
1951-52 |
6 |
46 |
567 |
89 |
362 |
|
1952-53 |
4 |
32 |
518 |
37 |
386 |
|
1953-54 |
4 |
47 |
353 |
18 |
303 |
|
1954-55 |
6 |
36 |
239 |
9 |
304 |
|
1955-56 |
7 |
43 |
559 |
60 |
373 |
|
1956-57 |
7 |
32 |
379 |
65 |
364 |
|
1957-58 |
8 |
45 |
523 |
15 |
393 |
|
1958-59 |
9 |
72 |
978 |
38 |
562 |
Notes on Statements:
1. These figures include in addition to the fees paid to the examiners the cost of the staff engaged in arranging these tests.
2. This is the number of candidates who were either passed as having a competent knowledge of Irish or, where a standard lower than competent was required, as having reached that standard.