Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Defence the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to develop the commissioning from the ranks programme. [20173/08]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Significant progress has been made recently in implementing schemes to enable more commissioning from the ranks. The revised cadetship competition is now seen as the primary means of commissioning from the ranks. The cadetship competition has been revised to increase the maximum entry age to 28 and to award bonus marks to candidates with previous experience in the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) or Reserve Defence Force (RDF). Results for the 2006 and 2007 cadetship competitions were encouraging with a total of 23 applicants with military service in the Defence Forces being successful in the 2006 cadetship competition and a further 18 applicants with military service being successful in the 2007 cadetship competition.

In addition, in the past two years, 5 members of the Defence Forces were commissioned as officers from Direct Entry Competitions for appointments as Engineer Officers in the Corps of Engineers, Conductors in the Army School of Music and Aeronautical Engineer Officers in the Air Corps. Arrangements are currently being made to commission a further member of the Defence Forces to fill an additional Aeronautical Engineer Officer vacancy in the Air Corps. An internal Commissioning from the Ranks competition was held in June 2007. This competition provided an opportunity for enlisted personnel who have passed the cadet entry age to compete for entry on a potential Officers Course and ultimately, a commission. As a result of the competition a total of 24 applicants (23 males and 1 female) have been selected from the ranks of Junior and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers and have been in training in the Cadet School in the Curragh since 30 July 2007. On successfully completing the course these enlisted personnel will be commissioned as officers of the Permanent Defence Force on 10 June 2008.

The Policy on the running of similar future competitions, to provide Non-Commissioned Officers with the opportunity of obtaining commissioned rank is being addressed. This issue is also included in the Defence Forces Modernisation Action Plan agreed under "Towards 2016". I have also asked the Chief of Staff for his views on the prospect of facilitating suitably qualified enlisted personnel to compete internally for technical/professional posts in the officer ranks in the future.