asked the Minister for the Public Service his policy with regard to the employment in any area of State or semi-State companies or bodies of individuals who have done penal servitude in prison.

As far as the areas for which I have direct responsibility are concerned, my view is that nobody should be automatically barred from employment because of a term of imprisonment, but that each case should be dealt with on its merits.

Would I be correct in gathering from what the Minister said that there is opportunity in State and semi-State organisations for people who may have served time in prison?

Yes.

Has the Minister any information at all as to how many people might be employed there?

I am afraid I do not have that offhand.

Would the Minister accept that there is a particular difficulty here because of the very small numbers who are on day release from our penal institutions and who are likely to get work, that that is an area of discrimination, actively or otherwise, by State and semi-State bodies particularly? Would the Minister not consider, in view of the constant requests to private sector employers to do their best to ensure full rehabilitation of these people that the State also has a full role to play and that it may not have been doing so in the past?

Without the actual figures available I cannot express an authoritative view on it. But I would have a suspicion that the position may not be unlike what the Deputy has described, although the policy, as I have indicated, is that each case should be treated on its merits. I will have the situation looked at to see if any improvement can be brought about. I am sure the Deputy appreciates that there are two sides to this.

Certainly I appreciate the need for caution.