andMr. L. Burke asked the Minister for Defence the number of officers in the Naval Service and how many of them have sea-going qualifications sufficient for the three existing vessels and for the Deirdre when it is launched.
77.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Naval Service.
76.
andMr. L. Burke asked the Minister for Defence the number of sea-going officers required on active duty for the four naval vessels when the Deirdre becomes available.
I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 76 and 77 together.
The number of officers in the Naval Service at present is 35, 22 of whom have sea-going qualifications. Six of these are, however, engineer officers for whom no appointment exists in the establishment for the minesweepers and of whom only one is likely to be required to fill a sea-going appointment on L.E. Deirdre. Of the remaining 16, three officers who fill senior appointments in the Naval Service would not be available for sea-going duties.
The officer complement of each of the three minesweepers of the Naval Service is four. That of the L.E. Deirdre has not yet been decided. As I have indicated in reply to recent questions, there is a shortage of executive branch officers in the Naval Service and Press, television and radio advertisements have been arranged which offer attractive new and improved remuneration and gratuities for temporary executive branch officers.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary say whether it will be possible to have those four vessels manned and at sea at the same time?
I do not follow the Deputy.
Will we have sufficient crew to man the four vessels, the three minesweepers and the new vessel, all at the same time?
I think I can give the Deputy an undertaking that that will be the position.
The indications were that that was not so.
The whole Government are at sea.
I will not talk about the Opposition in the same context.
78.
andMr. L. Burke asked the Minister for Defence the number of cadets at present undergoing training for the Naval Service.
Two.
79.
andMr. L. Burke asked the Minister for Defence the number of officers, sea-going or otherwise, who left the Naval Service in the last five years and the reasons given for leaving.
The number of officers who left the Naval Service in the last five years is 14 comprising five officers who retired on age grounds, eight who retired voluntarily to take up civilian employment and one who died. Three of the eight officers who retired voluntarily are now officers of the Reserve Defence Force.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary say whether any consideration is being given to the necessity to make this more attractive? It is obvious that we are not getting the candidates we require.
The sea has its own attractions and I would imagine——
We are failing to get officers in the Naval Service because they are not as well paid as officers in the regular Army.
I think that imbalance will be taken care of to a great degree in the near future. Sea-going and the tradition of the sea might be described as a vocation. I agree that these people want to be paid adequately. I wonder is it the prime motivation for a person to look at the pay first and go to the sea on that basis?
The number of vocations might increase considerably if the remuneration were made more attractive.
I accept that, but I think a person is either sea-going or he is not.
80.
andMr. L. Burke asked the Minister for Defence how conditions in the Naval Service compare with those of similar rank in the Army both on shore duty an sea-going duty.
82.
andMr. L. Burke asked the Minister for Defence what improvements are at present envisaged for the Naval Service.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 80 and 82 together.
Conditions in the Naval Service and in the Army cannot be compared rank for rank as the functions of the two services and the nature of their operations are quite different. As regards remuneration, the basic rates of pay are the same for corresponding Army and Naval ranks, but all non-commissioned personnel of the Naval Service receive pay at the rate of 22p a day in addition to their basic pay. All officers and ratings of the Naval Service are paid a sea-going allowance of 33p a day while serving abroad ship.
It has recently been decided that all qualified executive branch officers of the Naval Service shall receive marine pay at the rate of £329 a year with effect from 1st January, 1972.
81.
andMr. L. Burke asked the Minister for Defence the position with regard to payment for food and accommodation while on board ship for officers of the Naval Service.
Married officers serving aboard ship receive free rations and accommodation. Single officers pay for both rations and accommodation.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary say why there is that distinction?
It is an absolutely extraordinary anomaly and I just cannot explain it. My information is that the position will be put right. The theory is that single men have fewer obligations than married men.
83.
asked the Minister for Defence if he will state the number of recruits who entered and resigned from the Naval Service in 1971.
During 1971 a total of 187 recruits enlisted in the Naval Service. In the same year 76 recruits were discharged from the service.