asked the Minister for Defence if he will state the conditions governing the promotion of second lieutenants in the Reserve of Officers (First Line) and whether he will amend the conditions to provide for promotion to the next higher rank after two years in the lower rank.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Promotion of Reserve Officers.
Major de Valera
There are at present no settled conditions governing promotions of second lieutenants in the Reserve of Officers (First Line). The prescription of such conditions is, however, at present under consideration in my Department.
Major de Valera
The Minister must be aware that the effect of a certain regulation is that a Reserve second lieutenant cannot reach the rank of lieutenant until he has put in two years' actual training time, that is, time in service, which, at the rate of one month per year, would mean a large number of years. It may be an accidental consequence of drafting, but I direct the Minister's attention to it so that he may see his way to remedy it.
Is it a fact that it is the cumulative effect of a number of training periods, coming in all to two years, that is the deciding factor in the promotion of a second lieutenant to lieutenant on the Reserve and does he think that a continuation of that is going to keep any second lieutenant on the Reserve?
Perhaps Deputies will take my assurance when I said the matter was under consideration that it is because of the very points mentioned by the Deputies.
This matter was raised at least two years ago by me. Can the Minister now indicate to the House and to officers serving on the Reserve when it is hoped to complete the investigation, and whether it will be possible to make promotions, when they do come, retrospective for these people?
After the war.
I know what the people opposite did with the Army. We would have one were it not for them.