Edward Nealon
Question:6 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Defence when the elections for the new representative associations for members of the Defence Forces will take place.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Defence Forces' Representative Associations.
Edward Nealon
Question:8 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Defence if the seven man team that represented the four Army Commands, the Air Corps, Naval Service and General Headquarters in making submissions to the Gleeson Commission is still in operation; and, if so, what is their present brief.
Seán Ryan
Question:9 Mr. Ryan asked the Minister for Defence when he envisages that the internal ballot for the Defence Forces Representative Associations will take place; if he will make a statement on fears that have been expressed that there is a lack of support for the principle of representative associations at general staff level in the Army; if he will give an assurance that no efforts will be made at that level to obstruct the consultative process that is required in the development of the associations.
Peter Barry
Question:14 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Defence the reason he does not meet members of the PDFORRA rather than have another Member of Dáil Éireann do so.
Patrick McCartan
Question:24 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for Defence the progress which has been made regarding the agreement on procedures for elections to the new representative bodies; if the principal officer in the franchise section of the Department of the Environment has yet sought or received submissions on the form of the elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Proinsias De Rossa
Question:32 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Defence if it is his intention to meet representatives of PDFORRA to discuss the implementation of the terms of the Defence Forces (Amendment) Act, 1990; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Eric J. Byrne
Question:40 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Defence when he will publish the regulations provided for in the Defence (Amendment) Act, 1990, which allow for the establishment of representative associations for the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 8, 9, 14, 24, 32, and 40 together.
As I informed the House during the debates on the Defence (Amendment) Bill, 1990, the first election of representatives of personnel of the Permanent Defence Force will be conducted under the general supervision of the principal officer in charge of the franchise section of the Department of the Environment. He will determine, on the basis of submissions from interested parties, the procedures for the election of representatives.
Immediately the Bill was enacted — on 11 April 1990 — the head of the franchise section invited submissions from individuals and groups of individuals within the Permanent Defence Force on the structures — associations — into which representatives will be elected; the electoral system to be used; the constituencies to which the election will relate; the number of representatives to be elected; arrangements for the conduct of the elections; and any other relevant matter. Submissions are to be forwarded to him by tomorrow, 9 May 1990.
To facilitate the making of submissions and in order that elections can be held at the earliest possible date, the franchise officer had a number of discussions with representatives of the three teams comprising officers, non-commissioned officers and privates which were set up in connection with the Gleeson Commission as well as with representatives of PDFORRA.
The formation of associations has the full support of the military authorities. They have welcomed the new development and have encouraged the members of the Defence Forces to promote support for the electoral process. In keeping with the best traditions of the military authorities, once the Oireachtas has made known its intentions they will be implemented.
I can assure the House that the arrangements are proceeding as planned and, subject to what emerges from the submissions which are due tomorrow, I am hopeful that the elections will be held during the month of June.
When the duly elected representatives emerge from the first election I will meet them and the detailed arrangements will be worked out in discussions between them and representatives of my Department before the associations are formally established and before the Defence Force Regulations are made. These regulations will be published.
Deputies may rest assured that the undertakings given by me in this House during the debates on the Bill will be honoured in full.
I should like to ask the Minister if the officer team who made submissions to the Gleeson Commission — the Minister asked them to remain together after they had completed that work to help him in the setting up of the representative association — are together as a team and if they are working on the setting up of the representative association. If they are, will the Minister outline their brief?
They are, like the other groups within the Defence Forces, making their submissions to the principal officer who is in charge of the election procedures. The election will be held early in June and we can proceed from there. Everything is in step, as I announced in the Dáil during the debate on the Bill.
Like the submission to Brussels?
That is clear also.
Is the Minister aware that the officer team asked to remain together and report on their ideas in regard to the setting up of a representative association for the officers, produced a draft constitution and were reprimanded by the military authorities for doing so? Is he aware that they were asked to withdraw that constitution?
I am not going to interfere in internal Army matters on whether anything of that kind took place. The Deputy should have some sense of responsibility. Everything is proceeding excellently and the Chief of Staff has gone around to the various commands and spoken openly. There is full backing by the military authorities for the legislation enacted by the Houses of the Oireachtas and that is as I would expect it to be.
There is no doubt that the Minister has a unique way of getting it across that there is no problem. In the light of the disciplinary action taken against the seven officers for preparing a draft constitution——
What disciplinary action is the Deputy talking about? Let us get the record right; what is the Deputy talking about?
The reprimand. There is no use in the Minister saying that the officers were not reprimanded because they were. I welcome the Minister's undertaking in the House in regard to this but I should like him to ensure that his views, and those of Opposition Members, percolate to the highest levels of the Army and down through the system. He should ensure that there is full consultation because that is important. It is regrettable that what the Minister said in the past was not listened to and that is obvious because disciplinary action was taken against some men.
I want to assist the Deputy in eliciting information but we must proceed by way of supplementary question.
Will the Minister ensure that the decisions of the House are implemented? Will he also ensure that there is full consultation? It is regrettable that that is not the case, as has been reported in the media and stated by the officers involved.
The Deputy is going on to make statements.
I assure the House that the Army, as I would expect, are fully implementing the legislation passed by the Oireachtas. As my colleague, Deputy Vincent Brady, said last week in reply to a debate on this matter, there is no question of a reprimand, disciplinary action or anything of that kind, as suggested by the Deputy. I should like to make it clear that this matter is proceeding properly.
Everybody knows——
That is another cliché.
——that the officer team were reprimanded and there is no issue on that irrespective of what the Minister says. In view of the fact that the Minister asked that team at a reception to do a particular job, in consequence of promises given across the floor of the House that there would be consultations, is the Minister worried that they have been reprimanded? Will he ensure that the draft constitution which that team produced as part of the consultative mechanism will be published and distributed throughout the Army as was the previous document by the military authorities?
For the first time a Minister for Defence has given complete freedom to the various groups in the Defence Forces to come forward with their recommendations. These recommendations and consultations are proceeding with my full benediction.
Benediction?
We are going ahead in the appropriate manner. Step one involves preparations for the elections and step two — after the elections — involves meeting the representatives who have been duly elected with a view to devising the appropriate structures to be incorporated in regulations. I stated this during the passage of the Bill in this House and I do not have anything to add.
What will happen to the draft constitution produced by the officer's team at the Minister's request?
Of course it will be considered in the greatest detail. I have already read it and I doubt if the Deputy has——
It has not been circulated so how could we read it?
It is a very constructive document.
Deputy Ryan for a final and brief supplementary.
Will the Minister confirm or deny that the officers in question were reprimanded? My information is that the representatives of PDFORRA who have been having discussions around the country over the past few weeks received less than 100 per cent support and co-operation from certain people.
The Deputy seems to be imparting information rather than seeking it.
I assure the Deputy and the House that inevitably the views of PDFORRA will be taken into consideration in any movement towards a change of this kind. I am going through with this on behalf of the Oireachtas as it passed the legislative measure and I hope to do it to the best of my capacity.
We told the Minister the Bill was defective and it is obvious we were right.
May I ask a supplementary in relation to Question No. 24 which was taken with Question No. 6?
Not now, Deputy.
I wish to ask a supplementary.
I am sorry, Deputy, I can only hear the Deputies who tabled priority questions.