asked the Minister for Education in respect of the proposed appointment of 50 adult education officers: (a) the qualifications and experience required by applicants for appointment; (b) if the appointments will be by way of advertisement or promotion from within; (c) if voluntary bodies outside the VEC's, comprehensive and community school systems will be allocated such officers; (d) if the officers appointed will be in charge of other teaching or/and administrative staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I will be announcing full particulars of this scheme shortly. In the meantime I may state that the qualifications required for appointment will be that the applicant should be a qualified second-level teacher with proven ability and experience in adult education and community development. The posts will be advertised.

I wish to ask a specific question in relation to the allocation of some of the adult education officers whom the Minister intends appointing to schools outside the vocational sector. I should like an assurance that some of the officers will be appointed to community and comprehensive schools who are very involved in adult education.

I understand and appreciate that. The details of the scheme are not ready yet but, needless to say, the adult education officers will be operating over the whole area of adult education.

They will not be specifically confined to the vocational sector?

These officers will have a competence in regard to any secondary, comprehensive, community, vocational or whatever school there may be.