andMr. Harte asked the Minister for Justice (a) the number of promotions in the Garda Síochána to the rank of sergeant in respect of people who have not passed the Class 3B professional examination, (b) the number of promotions to the rank of inspector in respect of people who have not passed the Class IB professional examination, in each six month period in 1977, 1978, 1979 and the year 1980 to date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Garda Síochána Promotions.
21.
Dr. FitzGerald
The numbers of promotions to the ranks of sergeant and inspector of members who had not passed the professional promotion examinations in each of the six-month periods mentioned, commencing on 1 January 1977 were as follows: To the rank of sergeant—4, 1, 1, 29, 9, 14, 8. To the rank of inspector—2, nil, 3, 5, 3, 1, 2.
The final figure in each category refers to the numbers promoted in the period 1 January 1980 to 2 May 1980.
Could the Minister indicate the reasons for the exceptional number of such promotions occurring in the second halves of 1978 and 1979, when there were 29 and 14 respectively, against an average of about five or six in all the other periods?
Jobs for the boys.
The question of the promotion of gardaí to the rank of sergeant, special promotion, is a matter for the Garda Commissioner. Promotions in the Detective Unit, of sergeants to the rank of inspector, area of special promotion, is a matter for the Garda Commissioner with the approval of the the Minister for Justice.
I accept that, but that is not the question I asked. The question I asked was why where were 29 promotions to sergeant in the second half of 1978 and 14 in the second half of 1979 whereas the average for the other periods in question was only about five? What was the reason for these two sudden batches of promotion of people who had not passed the Class 3B professional examination?
For the Deputy's information, approval was not forthcoming for the numbers sought for such promotion. Therefore they were less than was demanded.
What was the demand for?
That is a separate question.
Why were there so many?
That is a separate question.
Question No. 22.
The question arises directly out of the Minister's answer.
It is not the practice to disclose what sources of information the Garda Sióchána may or may not have had in relation to a particular detection.
It is not a matter for the Minister to say that it is a separate question. My supplementary arises directly out of the reply given which shows a distortion in the pattern, that there was a three-to-six-times increase in these two half years in the numbers of promotions. I wanted to know why this increase occurred on these two occasions. That is a supplementary question which arises directly from the Minister's reply and which he is once again trying to evade.