asked the Minister for Defence if the pilot instructors in Gormanston, County Meath, who are training commercial pilots for Aer Lingus, have the necessary civilian commercial licences to do this work; and why civilian pilots are not engaged on it.

The Aer Chór officers who train pilots for Aer Lingus have qualified as instructors in An Cór. It is not necessary for them, as the Deputy appears to imply, to have civilian commercial licences.

As regards the final part of the question, there are no civilian pilots in An tAer Chór.

I am aware there are no civilian pilots in An tAer Chór, but I would ask the Minister whether or not the pilots who are being trained by military personnel will be recognised by the authorities here and in England as competent to fly commercial planes when they have taken out their qualifications? Is there difficulty about that?

The course is recognised by the Department of Transport and Power.

That is not helping us very much.

And, if we put down a question, we will not be told anything at all.