Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 11 Nov 1998

Vol. 496 No. 4

Priority Questions. - FCA Recruitment.

David Stanton

Ceist:

29 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Defence if, further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 38 of 22 April 1998 and 199 of 1 October 1998, he will supply information sought which referred to applicants for the FCA being refused due to hearing failure; if he will further give the relative percentages of those applicants who were not successful in their application in view of hearing failure; if the number of failures in the Southern Command area is higher relative to the other commands; if so, his views on the reasons for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23003/98]

Mr. M. Smith

The number of FCA applicants refused due to hearing failure and the relative percentages for each of the former Commands are as follows: Eastern Command, in the period of 1 January 1998 to 30 June 1998 — 216 examined, nine failures, giving a failure rate of 4.2 per cent; Southern Command, in the period 1 September 1997 to 31 August 1998 — 714 examined, 198 failures, giving a failure rate of 27.8 per cent; Western Command, in the period 1 September 1997 to 31 March 1998 — 950 examined, 33 failures, giving a failure rate of 3.4 per cent; and the Curragh Command, in the period 1 January 1998 to 31 August 1998 — 144 examined, 19 failed, giving a failure rate of 13.2 per cent.

The Southern Command failure rates fell towards May but then increased. However, the total number examined in July and August was six and eight respectively, and so cannot be taken to be statistically significant or indicative of a trend. The rates over 11 months are as follows: October 1997, 33 per cent; November 1997, 26 per cent; December 1997, 20 per cent; January 1998, 41 per cent; February 1998, 27 per cent; March 1998, 49 per cent; April 1998, 25 per cent; May 1998, 12 per cent; June 1998, 17 per cent; July 1998, 17 per cent; and August 1998, 25 per cent.

Mr. Stanton

Is the Minister being serious when he says that three commands have a failure rate of approximately 4 or 5 per cent and the Southern Command has a failure rate of more than 27 per cent? Does he agree there is something dramatically wrong in the south? Why is the south different?

Mr. M. Smith

Some medical reasons were put forward for this. When I received the figures the Southern Command seemed to be extraordinarily different, as the Deputy pointed out. I gave each applicant who failed an opportunity to be retested. Twenty seven of the 198 who had failed returned, 23 of whom then passed, which is a significant number. I am not in a position to indicate to the Deputy what would have happened if the other failed applicants had been retested — perhaps they went for other tests and found they were below the norm. However, a significant number of those who returned for testing passed. I do not know whether there was a flu epidemic at the time but the statistics were wrong — they were medically correct on the day they were done but could not be sustained over a period of time.

Mr. Stanton

However, those 27 per cent were tested over a number of months, according to the Minister's reply. Therefore, it was not just one snapshot in time and could not be due to an epidemic. An epidemic does not usually last for 12 months. Did the Minister write to all those people and invite them to be retested or did they come back of their own accord? If the Minister has not written to them would he be prepared to do so, given that, by his own admission, there was something glaringly wrong?

Is it a fact that applicants must take time off work, school or college to be tested? Does the Minister consider it fair that people who are joining a voluntary organisation and want to serve the State must take time off work, school or college for medical tests? Will he examine the possibility of holding these tests in applicants' free time at weekends, on nights or during parades in order to facilitate people? This is causing grave hardship.

Mr. M. Smith

It would not be easy to say here in the House how the tests could be done at different times because there are many specialists and facilities involved. However, I undertake to look at it.

It was my understanding that every failed applicant was invited to be retested but I am not in a position to guarantee that happened. I will see whether a further option could be given to people within the age limits.

There was nothing fundamentally wrong with the test itself because the tests of the applicants for the permanent Defence Forces were statistically aligned with the national position at that time. There was no question of a lack of sophisticated equipment and so on but it was shown that there were some extraneous reasons for the failure when 23 out of 27 applicants succeeded when they were retested. I do not know what those reasons were.

We will try to accommodate the points made by the Deputy, but without commitment or guarantee because there are some other related issues which may not be easy to resolve. As the Deputy knows, there is terrific demand on those services.

Mr. Stanton

Is the Minister saying he will ensure that the applicants who have not been already contacted will be contacted and afforded a chance to be retested? Will he reply to me on this matter because I am very interested in this area?

Mr. M. Smith

Yes.