asked the Minister for Defence the number of applicants for cadetships who sat for the recent examination; the number who were successful; and the number who failed their oral Irish test and their position in the light of recent Government policy decisions on compulsory Irish.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Army Cadetships.
37.
Two hundred and eighty applicants in the current competition for Army cadetships attended as requested for medical examination, oral test in Irish and interview. Fifty-five of those who passed the medical examination and qualified in the oral test in Irish were found suitable for appointment by the interview board. Fifty-one of them have, so far, been offered appointments. Twenty-seven candidates did not qualify at the oral test in Irish.
The competition was in progress when the recent Government policy decisions on compulsory Irish were announced and no changes in the conditions could have been made at that point. I will consider the position of the candidates who did not qualify in the oral test in Irish, when the conditions for the next competitions are being drawn up.
Is the Minister aware that there has been a tradition in the Irish Army for many years that the commands in the square and otherwise are given in Irish and that in the military college lectures are given in Irish?
That does not seem to arise.
It arises. He has indicated that. I was listening very intently and I got that impression from his remarks. Does the Minister not feel that it would be wrong to change or even think of changing a method of using a language that has proved intelligible to cadets from far away Zambia to suit the whims of some shoneens even though those people may have titles?
What about the Presidential candidate?
I hope that the Irish language will become a cultural attribute and a very real one in the future. I must consider the matter in relation to Government policy in this regard. There are 27 boys who have been failed because they did not pass the Irish test. Of those, 18 will be under the age limit when the next competition occurs about July. I must now consider the position of the other nine and that I shall do.