Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Part 4, number 4, amending the provisions regarding re-engagement of enlisted personnel in heads 34 to 37. This matter is of personal interest to me. I wrote to the Tánaiste on the matter of age last November and I sent him a reminder again last week about the case of a person who will be 36 on his next birthday and who applied for the job of Army band conductor but was deemed to be too old. If the person was still a member of the Defence Forces, that would not have mattered. I ask the witnesses to have a look at this and to remind the Tánaiste that I have written to him about it twice. I am not sure if anyone in the Department is looking at it but I have a copy of the email here and can give it to the witnesses. It just seems strange that this person is deemed to be too old while serving members of the Defence Forces can take up that role until they are their late 50s. There does not seem to be much common sense here when a young, fit and musically highly qualified ex-member of the Defence Forces is denied consideration for the post because he is deemed to be too old to wield a baton. It just seems strange.