asked the Minister for Defence the number of FCA personnel who have been asked to provide details of (a) membership of a trade union and (b) membership of a political party during the past 12 months; if he will give the reasons for these requests; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - FCA Personnel.
14.
(Limerick West): On presentation for enlistment, potential recruits for the FCA are questioned by an attesting officer. The questioning procedure is laid down in the attestation form and precedes the formalities of the swearing-in process. Apart from personal details, the information sought generally refers to the man's previous service in any of the State's security services and to any past criminal record.
As part of a programme to update and computerise personnel records, all FCA personnel have been asked to give information on their education, professional or technical skills, sports and hobbies that may be of value to the Defence Forces to allow the Defence Forces to be in a position to use the very considerable pool of specialised skills in the FCA to best advantage in an emergency.
The political and trade union membership or affiliations of members of the FCA are not part of that programme, although membership of a trade union could be included in its status as a professional body. The FCA have fully co-operated with this computerisation programme.
Is the investigation on updating of information being carried out by officers of the FCA or members of the Permanent Defence Force?
(Limerick West): I would expect by officers of the Permanent Defence Force.
Is the Minister aware of a standard form questionnaire which was used by the officers in assembling and co-ordinating the information elicited from the process of inquiry?
(Limerick West): Yes.
Let me suggest that the Minister look at this questionnaire again because the information available to me shows that a member of the FCA was questioned specifically about membership of a trade union and most emphatically about membership of a political party. When no political party was mentioned, the person was asked the political party he voted for. In each of those questions reference was made to the questionnaire form on the table. This would strongly indicate that more questions are being asked about a person's political and trade union activities than is suggested by the Minister's replies today.
(Limerick West): All I can say is that the Deputy must be reading a different form to that provided by the Department of Defence.
Quotations at Question Time are not in order.
I was not quoting; I was paraphrasing some correspondence. I would ask the Minister to tell members of the Permanent Defence Force that issues relating to political or trade union affiliations have nothing to do with the Department's inquiries and that no such questions should be asked of members of the FCA.
(Limerick West): No such information is required. If the Deputy would let me have the questionnaire form from which he is quoting, I would be very glad to have it.
A final supplementary question.
I am paraphrasing from correspondence of a member of the FCA; he did not concoct this. All I am saying is that there may be members of the Permanent Defence Force who are going outside the questions in the questionnaire for their own of for other reasons. May I ask the Minister to issue an instruction that questions not on the questionnaire form should not be asked?
(Limerick West): The questionnaire prepared by the Department of Defence and the military authorities do not include questions like those outlined by the Deputy. I would be very glad to give instructions to the questioning officers or the station officers to ensure that questions not on the questionnaire are not asked. If the Deputy has such information I would be very glad if he would pass it on to me so that I can take the necessary action.
I cannot undertake to give it immediately because of its confidential nature, but I will see what I can do.
Question No. 15, a question nominated for priority in the name of Deputy Pattison.