204 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Education if age discrimination is in operation within his Department and various schools and bodies, such as vocational education committee's.

205 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Education the reason there is an age limit of 29 for temporary one year contract lecturing posts within the City of Dublin vocational education committee.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 204 and 205 together.

The appointment of national teachers is a matter for the board of management of the school subject to the approval of both the patron and the Minister. A candidate must be at least 17 years of age for admission to a college of education for training as a national teacher on the basis of performance at the Leaving Certificate Examination. Mature candidates must be at least 23 years of age. A national teacher must retire at the end of the school year in which he/she reaches the age of 65 years.

The criteria for the selection of staff for appointment in secondary, community and comprehensive schools is a matter for the authorities of individual schools. My Department does not impose age limits for the purpose of the payment of incremental salary of those teachers except in so far as the compulsory age for retirement is 65 years.

Memorandum V7 which governs the appointment of teachers throughout the vocational sector including the City of Dublin vocational education committee, specifies age limits for appointment both to permanent wholetime posts and one year temporary posts. There is provision for me, as Minister, to approve the appointment of a person whose age is outside these limits and as far as I am aware no one is excluded on age grounds alone.