Vol. 296 No. 12
asked the Minister for Defence why FCA personnel of the Western Command who completed the officer's course in August, 1975, were commissioned in November, 1976, and other personnel who successfully completed the course have not been commissioned.
24.
asked the Minister for Defence when the next FCA commissioning will take place.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 24 together.
The successful completion of a potential officers' course is only one of a number of requirements which have to be fulfilled before a non-commissioned officer of An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil can be considered for appointment to be an officer.
Arrangements are being made at present for the appointment to be officers of 17 non-commissioned officers of An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil who have successfully completed a potential officers' course.
The Minister stated that one of the factors is the completion of a potential officer's course. Can he indicate why the person who took the course in August, 1975, was not commissioned while people who had lesser places were commissioned?
I can assure the Deputy that the 17 to whom I have referred will, hopefully, within the next month receive their appointments. The Deputy does appreciate that certain requirements have to be fulfilled and it takes some time before they are completed. I can assure the Deputy that within the next month or so these will be completed and the appointments will be made.
The course took place and these officers successfully completed it. Surely an examination of the entire panel would have taken place at the same time? Was one of the requirements political "pull"? Is that why the person who topped the course was not promoted? Is there any reason why the person who topped the potential officer's course was not promoted as against people with lesser places on the panel?
I am only very recently in the Department of Defence and I want to give an assurance to the Deputy and also to the House that there has been no question of such nor would any question of political "pull" be tolerated in regard to appointments of this kind.
I am glad that the Minister has given that assurance to the House because we did not gather that assurance from either of his predecessors, the present Taoiseach——
This is Question Time.
——who was then Minister for Defence or Deputy Donegan, both of whom promoted officers out of turn.
Order.
Further arising, could the Minister indicate why the commissioning of officers did not take place in January as planned? Was there some reason for the hold-up in the commissioning of FCA officers in the month of January? I was informed by the Department of Defence that these commissionings would take place in the middle of January. Were they postponed to fiddle the promotions which were to take place, as they did in the past?
I want to assure the Deputy that this is very far from the truth. Appointments may only be made to fill vacancies in establishments. I hope these appointments will be made within the next month. The Deputy must bear in mind that, in the case of the 25 appointments which were made some time ago, there was a lapse from July, 1975, to November, 1976, in making these appointments. Certain requirements must be fulfilled and, no matter how anxious one is to expedite these appointments, they can take a considerable time. I can only give the Deputy an assurance that the 17 appointments outstanding will be made within the next month or so.
Does the House wish to take the remaining question to the Minister for Defence?
Yes.
A final question from Deputy Dowling.
Is it possible to get a list of the 17 officers who will be promoted prior to the commissioning?
Is the Deputy asking me to facilitate him by giving him the names of the people who will receive appointments so that he can communicate with them and say that it was as a result of his representations that the appointments will be made? Having regard to the allegations he has made about political pull in this matter, I am not prepared to supply him with the names.
Question No. 25.
Further arising——
Order. I have allowed the Deputy a series of questions. Next question, please.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I wish to raise this matter on the Adjournment.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
