asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the number of non-national graduates in professional employment at the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards, Ballymun, Dublin.
Ceisteanna—Questions, Oral Answers. - Institute for Industrial Research and Standards.
52.
While I have no function regarding the appointment of staff by the institute, except in so far as relates to two posts of special responsibility, and while the information sought by the Deputy would not normally be available to me, I am informed that there are 16 non-Irish graduates out of a total of 89 graduates in professional employment at the institute.
Arising out of Deputy Tunney's rather loaded question, would the Minister confirm if it is not the practice of the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards, when recruiting professional staff, to recruit, wherever possible, Irish professional emigrants who are qualified for such posts?
In regard to the first part of the Deputy's supplementary, I am not aware of any loading in the question. The position is approximately as stated by Deputy Desmond. Certainly where Irish graduates are available they are employed, but as the Deputy knows there are some cases where they are not available for the work required.
Is the Minister aware that, as of March this year, there were some 25 professional vacancies in the institute and that they were not able to get qualified professional people, foreign or native, to fill them? Am I right in thinking that he would welcome the coming to Ireland of people to fill these vacancies?
That is correct.