Dinny McGinley
Question:30 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Defence the staff shortages in the Naval Services; and the plans, if any, he has to deal with them. [26271/99]
Other Questions. - Naval Service Recruitment.
Alan M. Dukes
Question:67 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for Defence the response to recent advertisements for direct entry officers; and the way in which he will deal with the shortages in bridge watchkeeping in the Naval Service. [26284/99]
Alan M. Dukes
Question:86 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for Defence the crew levels of the LE Roisín; the way in which these will be met in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26283/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 30, 67 and 86 together.
The ongoing recruitment campaign for enlistment in the Defence Forces, which I have approved, is designed to address any shortfalls in personnel numbers in the Defence Forces, including the Naval Service. To end November 1999, a total of 97 general service recruits had been enlisted in the Naval Service. The Naval Service will continue to enlist general service recruits during the remainder of 1999 and again in the course of the year 2000 to address manpower shortages.
A special general service recruitment campaign specifically for the Naval Service was launched in September 1999 and has already attracted some 400 inquiries. A total of 45 applicants were due to report for enlistment on Monday, 6 December 1999. Additionally, 17 apprentices and four radio-radar technicians have been enlisted this year. A number of personnel have transferred from the Air Corps to take up radio radar technician appointments in the Naval Service. Three Naval Service cadets were commissioned in September and on 20 September 1999, eight Naval Service cadets were enlisted and are currently in training in the Cadet School, Defence Forces Training Centre. They will return to the naval base in January 2000. Proposals for the cadet competition for 2000 are currently being finalised by the military authorities.
Two non-commissioned personnel were commissioned as electrical engineer officers on 3 November last. A direct entry competition for watchkeeping officers was advertised recently and application forms have already been issued to a number of prospective candidates. Proposals for a direct entry competition for marine engineer officers are at an advanced stage. Vacancies which have arisen at non-commissioned rank are being filled internally by promotion and vacancies created in the lower ranks consequent on these promotions are being filled by the ongoing recruitment process.
The Naval Service has recently sought applications from eligible non-commissioned Naval Service personnel who wish to be considered for participation in a potential watchkeeping officers course which is due to commence in January 2000. On successful completion of this course, participating personnel will be appointed as commissioned officers in the Naval Service to fill appointments as watchkeeping officers.
The precise crewing level for the new vessel LE Roisín has not yet been decided. In order to assess the crewing level required for the new vessel, full regard will be paid to and full advantage extracted from the new technology incorporated in the vessel, given what it offers in terms of automation and labour savings. This process of assessment is being undertaken now that the vessel has been delivered and the Naval Service has an opportunity to train personnel in its operation. However, I can say that the crew for the new vessel will be met from the overall authorised strength of the Naval Service.
Mr. Coveney
I thank the Minister for his reply and congratulate the Naval Service on a reasonably successful recruitment campaign in recent months. The Minister was correct in saying 44 new recruits have come on board, which I welcome. There is, however, a serious staffing problem. Does the Minister agree that the Naval Service is having considerable difficulty maintaining officers, in particular, and its skilled workforce because of pressures from outside the service? It is worrying when we must try to source a skilled workforce for bridge watchkeepers and marine engineers from the merchant navy because we cannot attract a sufficent number of cadets to join the Naval Service to do those jobs. The reason the Naval Service is finding it so difficult to hold on to skilled and officer staff is that it has no strategic direction and does not know where it stands as regards the White Paper on Defence. It cannot expect a skilled workforce to stay with an organisation that does not have any direction.
It is an exaggeration to say the Naval Service does not have a direction. I want the implementation plan the Naval Service passed to the Chief of Staff, and which has recently come to me, cleared quickly and in tandem with the production of the White Paper.
Deputies will note from the number of recruitment schemes that an enormous effort is being made to fill any gaps that exist, but I accept there are gaps. We are under enormous pressure to retain some technical staff, partly because of a massive increase in staff in the early to mid-1970s. Those people now qualify for pensions after 21 years and they have opportunities for alternative employment. These opportunities are welcome, but they have put us under pressure to maintain staff levels. The Naval Service is taking every recruitment initiative it can to address these problems. The service is focused. There is no problem there. It knows where it is going and its position will improve. A new ship has been delivered and another one announced.
How many technical staff vacancies exist in the Naval Service? Does the Minister accept there is a haemorrhage in this regard, given that he has already said so? This haemorrhage could lead to safety problems if we do not have qualified, experienced staff on ships. Has the Minister made any progress on adjusting the height requirement for the Naval Service? He gave a commitment on this matter the last time he took questions.
That commitment was made in relation to female recruitment and the matter is still under consideration. There is no question of safety standards being affected or there being any threat to Navy personnel due to staffing levels. There are in excess of 100 vacancies between all grades. I do not have the exact grades, but based on the total complement of more than 1,100, there are may be close to 150 vacancies at all grades. The current recruitment effort aims to fill those vacancies.
What about technical staff?
I will get those figures for the Deputy. It is a fairly significant number within that figure.
About 50?
Yes.
Deputy Coveney is correct. If an organisation does not know where it is going or if it does not have a strategic or business plan, clearly it will have difficulties recruiting people. It is not enough to blame the economy. The Minister chairs the implementation group and has had the PricewaterhouseCoopers report for well over a year and a half but has not implemented its recommendations on either the Naval Service or the Air Corps. It is not surprising that both bodies have recruitment difficulties, as he has not taken charge of that report. He appointed himself chair but has not implemented the report's recommendations. It is lying there for over a year and a half. It is no wonder both services have recruitment difficulties. The key question is when will the Minister implement the PricewaterhouseCoopers report on the Naval Service, as there will be ongoing recruitment difficulties if the service does not know where it is going?
We will have another problem with a free-for-all in Irish waters when naval vessels are tied up for the next few weeks. The Minister has not implemented the report, having appointed himself chair, and there has been no action for the past year and a half.
Earlier I was trying to extricate Deputy Fitzgerald from getting into trouble with the sterling staff that are working on deafness claims and now I am trying to get her out of trouble again.
The Minister appointed himself chair.
I did not have the report. I gave it to the Naval Service and the Air Corps to develop their own plan, which has only come to me in recent weeks. Those bodies have had the report for over a year and a half. The Deputy should not get herself into trouble with the Naval Service and the Air Corps—
The Minister is blaming the Naval Service and the Air Corps for a lack of policy.
—by blaming them for not presenting implementation plans to me. The Deputy should desist from doing that.