Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position within her Department with regard to the implementation of circulars (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13356/06]

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason for her Department's non-implementation of a circular (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13360/06]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 150: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position within her Department with regard to the implementation of a circular (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13358/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 43, 111 and 150 together.

The position with regard to the granting of bonus marks for proficiency in Irish and English across the Civil Service is that such marks are awarded to eligible candidates applying for interdepartmental competitions. In the case of internal competitions, Departments and offices have discretion as regards the granting of bonus marks for proficiency in both languages.

Until June 2005, my Department was one of a number of Departments and offices that did not apply bonus marks for proficiency in both Irish and English in internal competitions. This reflected the long-standing practice in my Department to agree in advance with the relevant staff representative associations the basis for internal promotion competitions and the wording of relevant office notices inviting applications from eligible candidates. As there were no agreements in place until June 2005 with any of the internal staff representative associations in relation to the application of bonus marks for proficiency in both Irish and English, these marks were not awarded in internal competitions. This practice was transparent in that relevant internal office notices contained no reference to the application of bonus marks.

This application of bonus marks in internal promotion competitions was raised by my Department's personnel division with relevant staff representative associations in early 2005. Following consideration of the issue, confirmation was received in June 2005 that internal staff representative associations have agreed to the application of bonus marks in future internal promotion competitions. Since then, all internal competitions have included provision for the award of bonus marks for proficiency in Irish and English.