Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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107. To ask the Minister for Defence his plans to introduce a regular path to becoming a commissioned officer in view of the numbers of highly trained NCOs and skilled tradesmen; his views that it would make sense to select the best and keep these skills and motivate people progress within the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46533/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In its recently published third report, the Independent Monitoring Group (IMG) has recommended that the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces review the opportunities available to Enlisted Personnel to become Officers. Progressing this recommendation will necessarily involve a review of the terms and conditions that have applied when providing opportunities to Enlisted Personnel to become Officers and looking at the policy around the frequency of such opportunities. Arising from the IMG report an Implementation Group has been established to progress the implementation of the recommendations arising from that report. In this context a Working Group is to be established to review the terms and conditions and other related matters around providing opportunities for Enlisted Personnel to become Officers. This work will commence in early 2015 and the outcome will inform policy on Commissioning from the Ranks into the future.