asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he proposes to give established status to the lady inspectors engaged in the poultry pathology technician grade, at present on the staff of his Department, in acknowledgment of the invaluable work they have done for the poultry industry in this country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Lady Poultry Pathology Inspectors.
9.
It has been agreed under the Scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration for the Civil Service that a number of these posts which hitherto have been unestablished would be given established status. Arrangements are being made to hold a Civil Service Commission competition for these posts, confined to the existing unestablished officers.
Is it true there are only about seven or eight of the original ladies engaged in this work still in the service of the Department and that the number of vacancies proposed is only six? Would the Minister not consider granting establishment to the original seven or eight on the understanding that thereafter a process of wastage would leave a permanent provision for six?
The authorised unestablished posts number 14 at the present time. They are not all filled. There are eight in one group and three in the other, but there are only seven with long service. If it is agreed that six permanent posts will be created it will not be too bad.
Does the Minister not agree if there are only seven with long service and it is now proposed to introduce the principle of establishment and the agreed establishment is six, that creates rather an unfortunate situation? Would it not be possible to get the Department of Finance to agree to seven posts?
There is approval for 14 unestablished posts.
But establishment, as the Minister knows, is a matter of considerable importance to officers of any Department who have long been on the temporary list. These seven ladies have been in this special work right from the time it was started. Would it not be possible to get the Department of Finance to agree to seven on the understanding that wastage would be allowed to operate to reduce the total number of permanent established posts to six?
If there were only seven unestablished posts, then a case could probably be made but there are 14 unestablished posts.
But there are seven there from the beginning.
There are seven there for a long period; I am not saying whether they were there from the beginning.
Would the Minister consider investigating the case?
These matters have been considered at the level——
Give him another jolt.
It is not a bad start.
It is only one post.