Seán Ryan
Ceist:12 Mr. Ryan asked the Minister for Defence if the Naval Service have difficulty in recruiting skilled technical personnel and in retaining same.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Naval Service Personnel.
Each year approximately ten technicians from the Army Apprentice School, Naas, are assigned to the Naval Service. A further ten Naval Service personnel approximately are assigned each year to apprenticeship schemes with FAS. In addition advertisements are placed from time to time in the national press for the recruitment of direct entry technicians. Arising from a competition held in 1988, 25 direct entry technicians accepted appointments. A further competition was held in late 1989 and to date 11 technicians have been recruited.
As is the case in any field of employment, a certain number of skilled technicians may from time to time be expected to leave the Naval Service to take up employment elsewhere.
Is the drop-out rate not one of the highest in the Defence forces? Does the Minister not accept that this is due in part to the low pay, long hours policy? The Minister informs me that the Gleeson Commission report will be available in June but the point still stands that we are losing qualified staff because of the long hours and low pay.
Obviously I would not have set up the commission unless I agreed with the Deputy. The commission are going into the whole matter in great detail and I do not want to pre-empt their discussion. They have met representatives from the Naval Service and that point of view has been put to the Commission. I hope that as a result of their findings this matter that concerns all of us will be resolved.