asked the Minister for Finance whether in view of the redundancy scheme at present in operation and in the redeployment measures necessitated as a result, he now considers it opportune to carry out the long-promised amalgamation of staff officer and executive officer grades.

My Department has put in place a scheme under which surplus staff from within the civil service and from certain bodies in the public service can be redeployed to such civil service posts, vacated by early retirement, which it is essential to fill. The amalgamation of the staff officer and executive officer grades is a different matter. I intend, however to proceed with the amalgamation and propose to have my Department initiate discussions with the staff interests concerned about the detailed arrangements to bring it into effect.