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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 10 Nov 1954

Vol. 147 No. 4

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Flight of Army Personnel to England.

asked the Minister for Defence whether he is aware that five officers recently flew in an Irish Army plane from Baldonnel to Lee-on-Solent, England, for the purpose of examining in oral Irish three Irish naval ensigns, then undergoing a course there; and, if so, if he will state the duration of the visit of the said five officers, the expense incurred due to the visit and the necessity for this journey.

asked the Minister for Defence whether his attention has been drawn to a recent article in a Dublin daily newspaper in which it was stated that an Irish air corps plane piloted by two air corps officers and carrying three high ranking Defence Force personnel touched down recently at Lee-on-Solent for the alleged purpose of enabling the latter three officers to examine in oral Irish three ensigns of the Irish Naval Service, who were engaged on a technical course there; if he will state the cost of this excursion and whether he has any comment to make on such expenditure of public moneys.

With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 and 49 together.

I am aware that this flight took place and I have seen the newspaper article mentioned.

The three ensigns in question are due for promotion shortly, but, in accordance with Defence Force Regulations, they had to pass a qualifying oral test in Irish before they could be considered eligible for promotion. It was decided, in the best interests of the service, to send the examining officers to England, rather than recall the ensigns to this country for the test.

Of the five officers on the plane, two were members of the crew, two were examiners, and the other was on official duty not connected with the test.

The aircraft landed at Lee-on-Solent at 11.22 a.m. on 23rd October and left there at 2.39 p.m. on the same day. Apart from the running expenses of the plane, which should not be taken into account as this was regarded as a training flight for the crew, the only expense incurred due to the visit was subsistence allowance totalling not more than £3 12s.

Will the Minister agree that the suggestion that this was a training flight appears, to say the least of it, very suspicious and will he further agree that it would have been more sensible to wait until these three ensigns had completed whatever technical course they were engaged on at Lee-on-Solent and that they could have undergone their oral test when they returned to Ireland?

I do not like the manner in which the Deputy has put the question. It was a training flight. They fly every day and the plane was on a normal flight. It is an advantage for our officers to land at different places if they get the opportunity. The total cost was £3 something. We could not wait until they came back to have the examination because it is essential that the examination should take place during their training and there was nothing I could do about it. I could have brought them home but that would have cost more.

Mr. Lemass

You made a valiant effort to answer the question, anyway.

When are they due home, by the way?

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