§ MR. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick)To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that several Irish second division clerks serving in Government departments in London have intimated to the heads of these departments that they are desirous of being transferred to Government departments in Dublin, and that the Civil Service Commissioners recently issued a circular to English and Scotch second division clerks waiting for appointments, asking them if they would serve in Dublin, and actually appointed some of them there nolens volens, he can explain why the former were not transferred before circularising and appointing the latter.
(Answered by Mr. McKenna.) The Civil Service Commissioners inform me that for any vacancy for a permanent appointment in Ireland they always select an Irish candidate if one is available. Indeed, owing to a dearth of Irish competitors in the open competition last autumn they were at considerable pains to transfer Irish clerks from London departments. The circular to which the hon. Member refers concerned temporary service in Ireland, and to this purpose transfer was not applicable. Consequently volunteers for this temporary employment were asked for from among the candidates (residing in Great Britain), but no clerk was forced to go against his will, and no Irish candidate available was passed over.