Jack Chambers
Question:32. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will provide a report on the Air Corps recommissioning scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9581/19]
View answerTuesday, 26 February 2019
Questions (32)
Oral answers (18 contributions)
I wish to ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will provide a report on the Air Corps recommissioning scheme and make a statement on the matter. There is considerable concern within the Defence Forces regarding this scheme which the Government seems to have designed and created without much collaboration with or agreement from the representative organisations. Those organisations are considerably concerned that it has exacerbated the retention crisis within the Air Corps, where there is a growing element of contagion. On what basis was the scheme designed? I ask the Minister of State to provide a report on the matter.
As the Deputy will be aware, there is currently a shortage of pilots in the Air Corps. As one of a range of measures to address this issue, the general staff and General Officer Commanding of the Air Corps recommended the initiation of a scheme to recommission former Air Corps officers. There is also scope to recommission officers in other specialist streams across the Defence Forces, if shortages exist. There have been previously been instances of former officers returning to the Defence Forces. In the absence of a standard policy for dealing with such requests, each case was dealt with on an individual basis and governed by the rules, regulations and circumstances that applied at the time. In the absence of a defined policy framework, the processing of such applications posed several difficulties, including defining procedures, identifying the requirements and needs of the organisation and agreeing terms and conditions with the individual. In order to allow for a transparent scheme to facilitate the re-entry of former officers of the Defence Forces, a policy framework setting out terms and conditions was necessary.
The terms and conditions for the recommissioning scheme include the provision that the recommissioning of former officers of the Defence Forces, including the Air Corps, shall only be considered in specific circumstances where the Chief of Staff has identified a deficiency in personnel, military capability or expertise in the Defence Forces that cannot be resolved in a sustainable or timely manner from within existing personnel resources. These terms and conditions apply to all former officers of the Defence Forces and not just to the Air Corps. Recommissioned officers will be offered a short service commission for a period of three years. Within that period, they cannot compete for promotion or block a promotion opportunity for existing officers. The recommissioned officers may only be offered a substantive appointment after three years on the advice of the Chief of Staff and the Secretary General. This provides a fair and balanced approach for the former officer and existing members. It is not realistic to suggest that vacancies should be maintained indefinitely for the purpose of ensuring promotions for existing members.
I am pleased to state that two former officers have applied to rejoin the Air Corps. Their applications are currently being progressed by the military authorities.
The response of the Minister of State does not match what I have been told. The scheme is viewed as a blind call on behalf of the Government, whereby it ploughed ahead without the agreement of or consultation with the representative organisations. The Air Corps is currently 30% under strength. The Minister of State referred to two former officers rejoining, but I understand that more than ten personnel may leave the Air Corps this year. We do not know how many more personnel will be recruited.
It has caused considerable concern among those Air Corps officers who have displayed loyalty and commitment to the Defence Forces and who now face the prospect of this initiative having a detrimental impact on their career advancement prospects in what is already a narrow stream. There is a view that the Minister of State has exacerbated this. There are also concerns that there are no advertisements for the recommissioning, no process and no protocol. Can he confirm whether applicants are applying directly to him? Through what section must they apply? Is it through the human resources section in the Defence Forces or the Minister of State directly? It would be very unusual if applications for recommissioning were made through the him directly. He needs to clarify many of the concerns over recommissioning and the detrimental effect it is having on the very problem he is trying to solve.
The Air Corps has 33 vacancies. The initiative was recommended by military management. There is considerable support. Wherever the Deputy is getting his information, he is not getting the full picture. I can give him the full picture now. The recommissioned officers will be offered a short-service commission for a period of three years. In that period, they cannot compete for promotion, nor will they block a promotion opportunity for existing officers. Wherever the Deputy is getting his information, it is totally incorrect. I reiterate that the commissioned officers will not block promotional opportunities for other members of the Air Corps. They will be given a short-term commission of three years. After this period, the Chief of Staff and the Secretary General of the Department will examine the circumstances in the Air Corps.
I want to address the shortage of pilots. As the Deputy is well aware, there is a shortage of pilots across the world. Aer Lingus is looking for more, as are all other airlines. Anybody who wants to re-enter the organisation may do so through the Defence Forces or Department. An individual did come to me and I passed on his information to the Defence Forces. I understand that application is being processed. An applicant will be accepted only if fully licensed and fully trained. Those who want to recommence duty in the Air Corps are all fully trained by the Air Corps.
This displays the complete failure by the Government to develop a retention policy. The Defence Forces are gaining two pilots and losing more than ten because they have no retention policy. The Minister of State is not making it attractive enough to stay in the Defence Forces, including the Air Corps. That is the core issue. The Government is exacerbating underlying difficulties with morale and retention. Does the Minister of State not believe it is unusual that there is a bizarre application process - a kind of South American or Venezuelan recommissioning process - whereby applicants go to the Minister, who then passes on the application? No one applies to re-enter the health service through the Minister for Health. No one applies to re-enter the Garda through the Minister for Justice and Equality, nor does one apply to enter the Civil Service through the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Clarity is needed on the protocol and procedure.
The representative associations have serious concerns about this, and the Minister of State knows that because they wrote to him about it recently. He has failed to respond properly to their letter of March 2018 in which they outlined multiple issues and concerns. Their difficulties were not dealt with at that stage. It is on this basis that I raise my query. We do not know the advertisement process, protocols or procedures. It is unusual that potential applicants would talk to the Minister of State about a re-entry process. He needs to publish and clarify what this recommissioning is about, how it is designed and what agreement exists with the representative associations.
What the Deputy is now saying is that we should not proceed with any policy unless we get the agreement of all the associations.
The existing officers should be retained.
Is the Deputy saying that we should now not proceed with any policy unless we have the full agreement of all the associations? He said the initiative would block promotions but it will not.
The Minister of State should deal with the issue.
This will not block promotions.
The Minister of State knows-----
It will be a short-term commission for a period of three years. This will not block promotions. I have the support of the general staff. The recommendation came to me from the military management. I support it and will continue to support it 100%. It is the right thing to do.
It is not working.
It is the right thing to do.
The Minister of State is losing more-----
The Deputy should outline the reason we are losing the staff.
Because the Minister of State has no retention policy.
On the retention issue, if the Deputy listened he would know a retention scheme is being addressed by the Public Service Pay Commission. If the Deputy's party had not put us into the plight we were in for many years, we would not have to revisit the retention issue. The arrangement would have been left in place. Unfortunately, the country was broke and this had to be addressed. This Government, which has returned the economy to full employment, is addressing the pilot retention issue. It is being addressed by the Public Service Pay Commission.