Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The response of the Minister of State does not match what I have been told. The scheme is viewed as a blind call on behalf of the Government, whereby it ploughed ahead without the agreement of or consultation with the representative organisations. The Air Corps is currently 30% under strength. The Minister of State referred to two former officers rejoining, but I understand that more than ten personnel may leave the Air Corps this year. We do not know how many more personnel will be recruited.

It has caused considerable concern among those Air Corps officers who have displayed loyalty and commitment to the Defence Forces and who now face the prospect of this initiative having a detrimental impact on their career advancement prospects in what is already a narrow stream. There is a view that the Minister of State has exacerbated this. There are also concerns that there are no advertisements for the recommissioning, no process and no protocol. Can the Minister of State confirm whether applicants are applying directly to him? Through what section must they apply? Is it through the human resources section in the Defence Forces or the Minister of State directly? It would be very unusual if applications for recommissioning were made through the him directly. He needs to clarify many of the concerns over recommissioning and the detrimental effect it is having on the very problem he is trying to solve.

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