Competition for soldiers to become officers

Non-commissioned soldiers will have a more chances of attaining officer rank following a decision by Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea to establish regular promotion competitions.

Mr O'Dea announced that a Commissioning From the Ranks competition would be held this year - the first in almost five years - and its outcome would decide his approach to future competitions.

A spokeswoman for the Minister said it was a question of "how often" rather than whether further competitions would be held. Mr O'Dea hoped the move would dispel perceptions of a "glass ceiling" to promotion in the Defence Forces.

The soldiers' representative body Pdforra welcomed the "long-awaited decision" to regularise commissioning from the ranks, which until now has been done on an ad-hoc basis.

Deputy general secretary Simon Devereux said there was no valid reason why anyone who joined the Defence Forces as a recruit could not go "to the very top of the organisation, provided they have what it takes to do so". It was "totally unacceptable" that for several years no enlisted person had an opportunity to apply for officer rank.