Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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351. To ask the Minister for Defence the options available in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork to rejoin the Army; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4480/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have been advised by the military authorities that the individual concerned can make an application to join the Defence Forces in any competition in which he is eligible to apply for. If he meets the eligibility criteria, he will then enter the selection process and compete with all other eligible applicants for recruitment into the Defence Forces. The selection process consists of psychometric tests, fitness test, interview, medical and security clearance. From the information provided, it appears that the individual’s age, he is currently 26 years old, would be a limiting factor. He is not eligible to join the Army as a General Service Recruit as he will not be under the age of 25 years of age on the closing date for applications in any future competition. However, he may be eligible on age grounds for other Defence Forces recruitment streams.

Plans for recruitment competitions in 2015 have not yet been finalised. Therefore a definitive answer regarding his age vis-a-vis the closing date for applications, the key date in determining eligibility on age grounds, cannot be provided at this stage.

However, he may be eligible on age grounds to apply for a cadetship in 2015, as he will be under 28 years of age on the likely closing date for applications, and he would be eligible to apply to become a Recruit in the Naval Service, as he is likely to be under 27 years of age on the likely closing date for applications. However, as he will turn 27 years of age in October 2015, if the closing date for Naval Service Recruits is after this date, he would be ineligible to apply.