asked the Minister for Defence the number of applications from Air Corps pilots to retire or resign their commissions which are currently before him; the numbers which were given permission to resign or retire during the past 12 months; the measures, if any, he intends to take to stop the flow of pilots from the Air Corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Air Corps Pilots.
13.
(Limerick West): There are no applications from Air Corps pilots to retire or resign their commissions before me at present. I understand that one pilot officer has submitted an application to retire and I will consider the matter when the papers reach me through the normal channels. Since 1 January 1988 five pilot officers of the Air Corps have been granted permission to retire. There has been no application to resign from a pilot officer of the Air Corps during that period.
Officers of the Permanent Defence Force have a statutory right to apply to retire or resign from the Force. In considering such applications I must take into account not only the personal wishes of the officer concerned but also the operational commitments of the Permanent Defence Force at any particular time.
In the light of the current strong demand from civil airlines for the highly trained pilots produced by the Air Corps, I have directed that an urgent examination be undertaken of measures to alleviate the situation. These measures include a review of the flying pay payable to pilot officers and the modification of the restrictions on promotion as applicable to the public service.
I must initially ask the Minister if he would clarify the content of part of his reply. The question seeks to find out about the previous 12 months. I understand that the Minister's reply may have referred to the position as on and from a certain date. Was the Minister referring to the period from 1 January to 1 January in terms of the five applications that were granted?
(Limerick West): I am talking about this year.
The question seeks to elicit what has happened in the previous 12 months. If the Minister does not have that information——
(Limerick West): It says the past months.
I will not offer the Minister spectacles because he is already wearing them. Does he see line three, the fourth last word? As this is a matter of concern and it is being reviewed, would the Minister not agree that it is an urgent requirement at all levels but particularly within the Air Corps that the level of pay be brought up to something comparable to what is available in the private sector to ensure the continuity of service from members trained in the forces?
(Limerick West): The question of pay is ongoing and is being looked at constantly.
Is one of the considerations of the Department to consider bringing levels of pay, particularly of persons skilled in training, into line with what is available in the private sector so as to ensure an end to the trickle of people from the forces?
(Limerick West): All personnel in the military forces are included in what I have said.
Is the Minister alarmed that five people out of a very small number have left the Air Corps in the past couple of months? Is he worried that if this were to continue it would create havoc within the Air Corps?
(Limerick West): No, I am not alarmed because it has always been the practice that well-trained pilots from the Air Corps go into civilian employment and that is still the practice. As I have said, I have allowed five airline pilots to go this year up to the present time. It is only right that they should be allowed to do so. The pilots who were allowed to go had between 22 and 27 years service.
Surely if those numbers were to keep continually haemorrhaging out of the Air Corps the Minister would have great trouble with recruits at the other end, given the embargo on in-take, pay and so on. Is the Minister not heading for great trouble in that sector?
(Limerick West): No. The ultimate decision as to whether personnel will leave rests with the Minister and he has to consider the operational demands at any time. When recruited, an airline pilot is not trained the following week or the following month; it takes a number of years. In order to alleviate that problem I intend taking in an increased number of cadets to the Air Corps this year.
A final question, Deputy McCartan. I will be calling Deputy Harney also.
Did any of the officers of the Air Corps who have been allowed leave have training in the management and flying of Dauphin helicopters or was part of the training schemes to equip the pilots with the capacity to fly those machines, particularly at night?
(Limerick West): Yes.
Deputy Mary Harney was offering.
How many of them?
That is a separate question.
(Limerick West): I do not have that information. Five pilots have left and a number of them had the facility to fly the Dauphins.
Does that in any way arrest——
Sorry, I had called Deputy Mary Harney and I would like her to put her supplementary question now.
The Minister has indicated that five pilots have left. May I ask him how many now remain? Secondly, if further applications come before him from pilots to leave the Air Corps, is he likely to grant them permission to so do within the next 12 months?
(Limerick West): As I have said, in considering such applications I must take into account not only the personal wishes of the officer concerned but also the operational commitments of the Permanent Defence Forces at any time. I cannot say at this stage either yes or no in reply to the Deputy's question. I am very considerate and sympathetic, as the Deputy knows.
You will not keep them against their will.
How many pilots are there in the Air Corps?
(Limerick West): I do not have that specific information but I will let the Deputy have it. I would say in excess of 70.