Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

Will the Minister agree it was stated previously that a Defence Forces integrated personnel management system was being prepared by military management as a matter of priority? In the Cork area where efforts at promotion were made, I attempted to take up the case of a number of NCOs who see their career paths blocked despite the efforts of their direct superiors in the Naval Service. The career prospects for NCOs are bleak. As the Minister said in his reply, 28 non-commissioned officers have been commissioned as officers in the past five years. That is very limited promotion through the ranks. There should be a realistic prospect of promotion through the ranks, particularly given the shortages in the Naval Service.

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