Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of personnel from the other ranks commissioned as officers in the Defence Forces in each of the past five years; if he has plans to increase the numbers commissioned from the ranks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24199/04]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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A total of 28 non-commissioned officers have been commissioned as officers in the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service in the past five years. Potential officers courses, POC, are held for non-commissioned personnel from time to time within the Defence Forces. Personnel who successfully complete such courses are commissioned as officers in the Permanent Defence Force. Participants on such courses are selected on a competitive basis. In addition, from time to time, non-commissioned personnel who hold appropriate qualifications are commissioned to fill specialist appointments where vacancies arise. Eligible non-commissioned personnel may also apply for the annual cadetship competitions. The requirement for potential officer courses and commissioning from the ranks competitions is reviewed from time to time and is being specifically addressed in the context of the integrated personnel management system which is one of the major policy initiatives provided for in the White Paper on Defence and in the programme for Government. The integrated personnel management system will make specific and ongoing provision for the introduction of regular schemes to commission enlisted personnel as officers in the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service.

Draft conditions governing the appointment of enlisted personnel of the Permanent Defence Force to be officers of the Naval Service are under discussion with the representative associations. As the discussions with the representative associations are ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of the proposed draft conditions. However, it is the intention that a potential officers' course will be run as soon as these discussions have been completed.

Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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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.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with the Deputy that promotion prospects are extremely limited. The figures clearly show that to be the case and they do not lie. The last such course which would enable enlisted personnel to become officers took place in 2000. It is the intention that as part and parcel of the integrated personnel management system those competitions will take place regularly. I do not wish to go into further detail given that discussions are ongoing with representative associations and I do not wish to pre-empt anything. It is my intention that the career paths and opportunities for enlisted personnel to get to officer level will be considerably enhanced. This is one result of the integrated personnel management system that we are trying to introduce.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Given that these discussions have been ongoing for a number of years what progress, if any, has been made? The replies I have received to parliamentary questions on the matter in recent years were to the effect that discussions were ongoing. Is there any sign of the discussions reaching a conclusion?

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Specific deadlines are set out in the White Paper on Defence. My understanding is that considerable progress has been made in the discussions and, hopefully, the matter will be resolved shortly. I am sure Deputy Stanton will continue to ask about the discussions until such time as the matter is resolved.