asked the Minister for Defence the circumstances under which an applicant (name supplied) was admitted to the naval service, retained for a period of five to six weeks and subsequently discharged without notice or reason.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Naval Service Discharge.
21.
I have examined the papers relating to the case and if the person referred to in the question presents himself again for enlistment, the matter will be sympathetically considered.
On that note of optimism from the Minister, on behalf of the young man, I wish to thank the Minister.
The Deputy may take it everything will be all right.
Surely final acceptance should be completed before a man is taken in instead of taking a man in, keeping him for six or eight weeks and then discharging him as being unsuitable.
The Deputy is making a statement.
The alternative would be to send home everyone who presents himself for enlistment and wait until all the investigations are completed. Because of an error there was an odd situation in this particular case. It was brought to my notice when Deputy Tunney put down this question. I examined the case carefully and if the young man presents himself again I believe he will be accepted. I cannot be responsible for an occasional error. I am not blaming anybody for an occasional error, but I did not make it.
When a young man is told he is to leave the Force having been accepted for five or six weeks he is viewed with suspicion, not alone by his friends and comrades but by other people. Will the Minister undertake to examine the records of men who have been so released in the not too distant past to see if other mistakes were made?
The Deputy is broadening the scope of the question.
I am satisfied this young man was hardly dealt with.
Was that on a police assessment?
I refuse to discuss anything in relation to the young man. All I say is I feel he was hardly dealt with.