asked the Minister for the Environment the number of driving testers who were seconded from their primary job to provide material for answers to parliamentary questions tabled by Dáil Deputies and the amount of time taken by those driving testers to provide this information.

23.

asked the Minister for the Environment the number of driving testers employed after the last three advertisements were inserted in the national newspapers and the length of time these appointments were made after the advertisements were published.

24.

asked the Minister for the Environment the present standards required for driving testers, the form of examination they are required to take and how the examination is assessed.

25.

asked the Minister for the Environment if his Department have any refresher courses for driving testers and, if so, the number of courses which have taken place in the last two years and the number of testers who participated in these courses.

26.

asked the Minister for the Environment the number of driving test supervisors presently employed by the Department and the number required at any one time.

27.

asked the Minister for the Environment the number of driving test supervisors appointed in the last two years, how often spot checks are carried out on testers and the number of checks made on testers in the last two years.

28.

asked the Minister for the Environment if he has received a request seeking a meeting with him from driving testers, if so, the date he received this request and when he proposes to meet them.

29.

asked the Minister for the Environment the number of driving testers employed in this country.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 to 29 inclusive, together.

The number of driver testers and supervisor testers employed by my Department at present are 61 and six respectively. Arrangements are in progress to fill seven further posts of driver tester and one further post of supervisor tester.

Competitions for appointments as driver tester were held by the Civil Service Commission in 1977 and 1978, and a further competition is in progress. There were five appointments from each of the 1977 and 1978 competitions. Appointments in these cases were made approximately eight months from the dates of advertisement. No appointment to the supervisor tester grade was made in the past two years.

The qualifications for posts as driver tester are set out in the conditions issued from time to time by the Civil Service Commission. Competitions comprise a written examination, an interview and a practical driving test.

Each supervisor tester exercises continuous supervision over the work of a number of driver testers in a district, including checking on their work. His other normal functions include the survey of test routes, advice on location of premises and the carrying out of particular types of test. Details are not readily available in regard to numbers of checks on testers carried out by supervisory testers over a period.

The work assigned to driver testers does not include the preparation of replies to Dáil questions.

While formal refresher courses are not normally held, various conferences for the staff, at tester and supervisor tester levels, and at central and district levels, coupled with continuing advice to testers by supervisor testers, fulfil the appropriate function in this regard. All the staff participated in a four-day conference this year and supervisor tester staff participated in a conference in 1978.

A request for a meeting from the union representing the testers and supervisor testers reached me on 22 October 1979. In reply the union were assured that officers of the relevant section of my Department would be readily available to discuss with the union any issues affecting their members' conditions of employment. Such discussions are normal and a further one has been arranged for a date this month.