Vol. 495 No. 7
369 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Finance if a person (details supplied) in County Sligo will be reinstated in view of the fact that she was forced to resign from her post on marriage; if he will make a favourable decision in this regard; the redress, if any, available to her; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21895/98]
Section 11 of the Civil Service Regulation Act, 1956, as amended by the Civil Service (Employment of Married Women) Act, 1973 provided for the reinstatement to their former positions of women who resigned from the civil service for marriage-related reasons and who fulfilled specific criteria. On foot of legal advice which indicated that the reinstatement scheme was discriminatory, the scheme was abolished by the Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Act, 1996. This means that the person concerned, along with former civil servants generally, cannot be reinstated to the civil service.
To become a civil servant again this person must, like other former civil servants and citizens generally, go through the normal recruitment route, i.e. she must be successful at a Civil Service Commission open competition. These competitions are advertised in the national newspapers from time to time.
At the time of the abolition of the reinstatement scheme, the Government decided that the next two series of clerical assistant — now clerical officer — and executive officer recruitment competitions would include special sub-panels composed solely of former civil servants (these sub-panels are open to all former civil servants). The first such executive officer and clerical officer competitions have already taken place. The second such executive officer competition is currently being advertised by the Civil Service Commission, with an upper age limit of 65 years.
I understand that the person concerned was formerly employed by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. Virtually all positions in that Department were transferred to An Post and Telecom Éireann. Appointments to those bodies would be solely a matter for those organisations themselves.
