Mr. Pádraig Love:

As regards the commissioner's report, it is not the way we would apply it. We would always see that it is important to test the core competencies first and then apply Irish. I can see how one could apply Irish earlier but, as my colleague from the Commission for Public Service Appointments has said, it would distort the field in that people who are strongest in the core competencies would be pushed down, or perhaps out of, the field whereas people who might be weaker in the core competencies but have Irish would come up through the field. Given that our role is to try to get the best people into jobs in the Civil Service, that would not be consistent with the way we go about our business.