47 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Defence the number of (a) aeronautical engineers in the Air Corps and (b) electrical engineering officers in the Naval Service who are women; the reason these positions recently advertised in the national press were restricted to male applicants only; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

At present there are no women serving as aeronautical engineer or electrical engineer officers in the Naval Service.

Electrical engineer officers in the Naval Service are required to serve at sea and the limitations in regard to space on naval vessels make it impractical for male/female crewing with separate accommodation for each.

I have reviewed the position in relation to the recruitment of female aeronautical engineers and the next competition will be open to female applicants.

Will the Minister explain why the most recent recruitment excluded females within the Air Corps and the Naval Service? There does not seem to be any consistency in what the Minister said about the recruitment of women to the FCÁ and elsewhere and in what he is doing on the ground. There seems to be two standards and this illustrates it, as women are getting a second best deal.

I was very specific in what I said. Because of the anxiety expressed by the Deputy I have already raised this matter with my Department and the next competition for the recruitment of aeronautical engineers will be open to female applicants. That is a positive commitment.

In regard to the Naval Service, I have had an opportunity of visiting the LE Eithne and, on the basis that the other ships are of a similar nature, there cannot be any difficulty in providing separate accommodation for men and women——

Let us proceed by way of questions, please.

Will the Minister again look at this matter because he has given a facile response to a fundamental issue, the right of——

This is leading to argument.

We have got women into the air and the next step will be to get them working at sea. Question Time is an excellent way of getting things done because it brings these matters to the surface.