§ MR. FIELDTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state why promotion in the Irish Government Boards is not -carried out under the seniority system; 28 and whether he can explain what is the meaning attached to the word merit which ensures promotions in certain casts in Ireland, and overrides the seniority rule which generally prevails in Government appointments.
§ MR. FIELDTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will consider the advisability of appointing an impartial committee of inquiry into the methods of appointments and the rules governing promotions in Irish Government Departments.
§ MR. FIELDTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in view of the fact that promotion by selection in the Irish Government Departments has given rise to discontent and consequent injury to the public service; and, seeing that promotion under this system lends itself least to favouritism, whether he will issue instructions to the heads of those departments to the effect that all promotions shall in future be made according to seniority and equality of efficiency.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) The Orders in Council applying to both the first and second divisions of the Civil Service of the United Kingdom generally provide that promotions shall be according to merit, not seniority. This rule was, I understand, established many years ago as the result of recommendations of commissions of inquiry into the Civil Service. I am not aware of any necessity for appointing a committee to inquire into the operation of the rule in Departments under the Irish Government, nor am I aware that any discontent in the matter exists in any of these Departments. I have no power, nor do I think it would be desirable, to issue instructions that promotions should be made according to seniority, without taking merit into account.