asked the Taoiseach in view of the decision of the employment equality officer in the case taken by the Employment Equality Agency on behalf of a person (details supplied) which found that the Central Statistics Office had discriminated against married women in the recruitment of field supervisors for the 1986 Census of Population, if the recruitment practices of the Central Statistics Office have been altered to take account of the verdict; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

In the case referred to by the Deputy, the equality officer concluded that because absolute priority for the jobs in question was given to persons in receipt of unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance or otherwise in economic need the CSO discriminated against the claimant contrary to certain provisions of the Employment Equality Act.

The equality officer also concluded that if the appointment had been on merit alone the claimant would not have been appointed.

The only recruitment presently being undertaken by the CSO is in respect of interviewers for the 1988 labour force survey. The procedure being followed is to offer appointments in order of merit, subject to location constraints, following competitive interview.

Will the Minister confirm that the order given by the Taoiseach's Department in the case of the census takers has not been issued with regard to the jobs now on offer? I refer to the order which stated that absolute preference would be accorded to those on unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance. Will the Minister confirm that this precondition no longer exists in relation to any jobs which the CSO are offering at the moment?

The order referred to by the Deputy is the order in respect of the 1986 census of population recruitment. That order was given by the previous Government. No such order has been given since.