Finding aid databases

Letter from Thomas Bodkin, Director, National Gallery of Ireland, to the Secretary, Department of Education, 7 October 1932, informing him of the outcome of a meeting of the Governors and Guardians of the National Gallery of Ireland. Miss Sarah Purser RHA was amongst those present at the meeting. It was decided at the meeting to 'appoint a sub-committee for the purposes of making representations on behalf of the Board to the President of the Executive Council and the Minister for Education'.

s 6222A

letter

Transcript of the Commission of Inquiry into the Civil Service, twenty-first day's proceedings, 23 February 1933. Fifteen people were present including Mrs Mary Kettle and Miss N Ryan. The meeting questioned Mr TJ Hughes, General Secretary, Civil Service Federation, as to the feasibility of certain schemes of arbitration, 'from the point of view of the Civil Servant: whether he has anything under the present system which he might lose in certain conceivable kinds of arbitration… we look to the Arbitration Board to bring us up to the level of what good outside employers pay for comparable work'. Mrs Kettle raises the position of women civil servants and their status after marriage, 'certain things regarding women have been altered since, I think, 1922. For instance, when a woman in the Civil Service marries naturally she retires, but if subsequently she becomes a widow and wishes to resume service in the Civil Service she cannot do so under the present rule, whereas in the British Civil Service she may resume. Is that not so? ... But actually there is no appeal. Here there is a rigid rule that once a woman marries she is finished with the Civil Service'. A discussion then follows on the role an Arbitration Court may play in cases where a widow wishes to return to the Civil Service.

s 6247/Fo/21

report

Transcript of the Commission of Inquiry into the Civil Service, twenty-second day's proceedings, 2 March 1933. Thirteen people were present including Mrs Mary Kettle and Miss N Ryan. The meeting questioned Major DN Brunicardi, Institution of Professional Civil Servants, as to whether a scheme of arbitration would benefit the people that he represents. 'So far as we considered that point, we concluded that an Arbitration Board set up by the Minister for Finance on the Executive Council, would have its awards made effective by us'. Mrs Kettle requests information on the turnover of professional staff in the Civil Service, 'You say that most of your officials visualise spending their lives in the Civil Service. In your particular class, do your officers leave the Civil Service after some years in it?'

s 6247/Fo/22

report

Transcript of the Commission of inquiry into the Civil Service, twenty-third day's proceedings, 3 March 1933. Nine people were present including Mrs Mary Kettle and Miss N Ryan. The meeting questioned Major DN Brunicardi, Institution of Professional Civil Servants, as to the type of arbitration that would suit the group that he represents. 'We visualised that the final form that arbitration would take would result from negotiations between ourselves and the Government on the matter. We did not intend to lay down a cast-iron rule ourselves and refuse to have anything else'. Further discussion took place on the type of claims that would go to arbitration for example, 'leave, conditions and amenities of Service and finally, superannuation'.

s 6247/Fo/23

report

Transcript of the Commission of inquiry into the Civil Service, twenty-fourth day's proceedings, 9 March 1933. Fourteen people were present including Mrs Mary Kettle and Miss N Ryan. The meeting questioned Mr HP Boland, Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance, as to the powers of the Minister for Finance and the Executive Council to interfere with the findings of the Arbitration Tribunal. Further discussion took place on the areas which may be covered by an arbitration court or tribunal, for example, 'Don't you think that the inclusion of hours of work and leave is a necessary safeguard in any award of pay that an Arbitration Board would make?'

s 6247/Fo/24

report

Transcript of the Commission of inquiry into the Civil Service, twenty-fifth day's proceedings, 10 March 1933. Ten people were present including Mrs Mary Kettle and Miss N Ryan. The meeting questioned Mr HP Boland, Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance, on matters relating to arbitration. Mrs Kettle referred to the arbitration situation in Britain. 'It was abolished for a period in Britain ... Do you not think that the fact that it was abolished and subsequently revived speaks very much in favour of its good results? Surely the fact that it was restored after having lapsed for three years showed that, even though it had certain disadvantages, its advantages must have outweighed them'. Further detailed discussion took place as to the advantages and disadvantages of various systems for arbitration.

s 6247/Fo/25

report

Transcript of the Commission of Inquiry into the Civil Service, twenty-seventh day's proceedings, 23 March 1933. Fourteen people were present including Mrs Mary Kettle and Miss N Ryan. The meeting questioned Mr JR Clarke, Association of Chambers of Commerce, on matters relating to arbitration. Miss Ryan compares the role of an arbitration board with that of a conciliation board. Mrs Kettle discusses the terms of reference for the Commission and questions the inclusion of a Chamber of Commerce representative on the board. 'Then on the question of representation, I fail to see why the Chambers of Commerce should ask to have a representative, If they ask for representation as tax-payers, surely the farmers would have a right to have an assessor there too?'

s 6247/Fo/27

report

Transcript of the Commission of Enquiry into the Civil Service, twenty-eighth day's proceedings, 24 March 1933. Nine people were present including Mrs Mary Kettle and Miss N Ryan. The meeting questioned Mr W O'Brien, Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners, on matters relating to arbitration. Mrs Kettle sought information on the flaws in the current system. 'Then it is the conciliation machinery that is ineffective? - Yes, because a decision cannot be arrived at and there is no real method of getting a decision promptly, you have to wait'. Mr PS O'Hegarty, Secretary, Department of Posts and Telegraphs was also questioned. Miss Ryan stated that the staff were in favour of arbitration. 'You stated that the present system was quite satisfactory. Perhaps that would be from the official point of view. The Staff have sent us a memorandum stating they were in favour of arbitration'.

s 6247/Fo/28

report

Transcript of the Commission of Enquiry into the Civil Service, twenty-ninth day's proceedings, 6 April 1933. Ten people were present including Mrs Mary Kettle. The meeting questioned Miss Nancy Wyse Power, on behalf of 'the Committee representing all grades of Women Civil Servants'. Miss Wyse Power outlined the group of people whom she represents, 'the Committee represents a large number of women of all grades in all Departments. However, it is a purely temporary organisation formed for the purpose of laying evidence regarding the position of women in the Civil Service before this Commission. We cannot say exactly how many people it represents, but we have estimated the number to be in or about 1500'. The Chairman enquired as to whether it would be necessary to have women on an arbitration board. 'Of course you do not actually propose that in the normal course a woman should actually sit upon the Board each time? - Oh yes. If you look further down my memorandum, we do propose that the panels on each side should include women'. Miss Wyse Power suggested that the exclusion of women from certain grades might be a matter for an arbitration board. 'Among general cases we might mention, for instance, the exclusion of women from certain grades and the confinement of lower grades to women altogether'. The matter of annual leave allowances was also raised. 'A suitable question for submission would be the very low amount of annual leave given to certain grades - the typing and writing assistants grades. They only get 12 days in the year, and none of the men's grades has such a low amount'. Mrs Kettle acknowledged that 'broadly speaking the women in a good many cases have been discriminated against in the Civil Service. For instance, you mention as questions for Arbitration the exclusion of women from lower grades ... from what I have seen in the Post Office when I took over, the drudgery is given to the women and the more interesting work that might lead to advancement is reserved for the men'. Other topics which were discussed include the segregation of women and mortality allowances.

s 6247/Fo/29

report

Transcript of the Commission of Inquiry into the Civil Service, thirtieth day's proceedings, 9 November 1933. Nine people were present including Miss N Ryan. The meeting questioned Mr HP Boland, Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance, on matters relating to arbitration. The Chairman raised the topic of women civil servants. 'Do you suggest that the employment of women is something that should receive special attention?' In response Mr Boland stated that 'To what extent is it wise to employ women. You must remember there is a certain amount of loss to the State through women leaving on marriage after they become competent. They are a cheap class compared with the clerical and in that way you save some money, but you lose something on the other side by reason of the loss of efficiency through a very frequent change of personnel. Those who go out on marriage after six years service have to be paid a gratuity'. The loss of more senior personnel was also raised. 'The loss of a Junior Administrative Officer is a serious thing. On the other hand very few women succeed in the Junior Executive examinations. As to whether the percentage of marriages will be as great the higher up you go as in the lower grades, I rather doubt it. A lady Junior Administrative Officer would be more reluctant to give up her post than would be a girl who is a writing assistant'.

s 6247/Fo/30

report