Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 465: To ask the Minister for Defence the way in which the Naval Service defines the term "long-term attachment"; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11799/05]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The military authorities have advised that personnel of the Defence Forces may be detached from their parent unit and attached to another unit of the Defence Forces in accordance with Defence Force Regulation A10.

The Defence Forces, including the Naval Service, have no particular definition of the term "long-term attachment". Its use is a matter of custom and practice. Detachments are however normally of a limited duration to perform a temporary duty, attend a course etc. Usually this would not extend beyond a matter of weeks. However, circumstances can arise where personnel are detached from their parent unit, and attached to another unit, for a prolonged duration. This may arise for a variety of reasons. For instance, it may be authorised as a result of the member's own request due to a domestic or compassionate reason to be at or near a particular location. Such detachments are normally directed to be for a set period and are entirely a matter for the military authorities in the light of operational requirements.

The Defence Forces wish to minimise any long-term detachments of personnel to units outside their own unit or Service. Such Naval Service personnel, while technically borne on the strength of the parent unit in the Naval Service, are unavailable to perform naval duties. They will also be blocking an appointment for their rank-grade in the Naval Service, and thus may also be restricting promotion to that rank-grade.