An Army corporal who has served multiple overseas missions will take a case at the High Court alleging that he was “blocked” from a promotion to a specialist IT sergeant position despite being “the only person qualified to hold the role”.
Army Corp Adam Courtney (35), of Cornamagh, Athlone, Co Westmeath, is taking a legal action against the Minister for Defence and the Attorney General. He is seeking a High Court order requiring the Minister to promote him under the terms of the “2025-2026 Junior non-commissioned officer competition”.
Courtney submits in court papers that he joined the Defence Forces in 2011 and was promoted to the rank of corporal in 2018. Courtney states he “enjoyed life in the Army and believe that I have faithfully served both within the State and on multiple overseas missions”.
Courtney states he was fulfilling the role of an Army sergeant in the Computing Training Centre in Custume Barracks, Athlone, running a course for developing IT skills for permanent Defence Force members.
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He submits he was receiving a substitution allowance “for some time” in recognition of the role, despite not formally being recognised as a soldier of sergeant rank.
Courtney claims there are four essential qualifications for promotion to the sergeant rank through specified courses he undertook and that he holds all four qualifications. He further submits he was told by his commanding officer that on completion of essential courses he would be promoted to the rank of Sergeant in Instruction in IT. He submits that he completed all courses before the competition for promotion ended in September 2025.
The applicant submits that the September 26th, 2025, closing of transfers in the army to his sought position benefited him as he was the “only” qualified candidate to fulfil the sergeant role.
However, the next month, Courtney submits, he was informed he was not being considered for promotion as “military authorities” were purporting to fill the position with an already-promoted sergeant, who had been serving in a “supernumerary capacity” since 2024.
Courtney submits in his affidavit that this purported transfer of the sergeant into the position caused him “great disappointment” and “ongoing loss” that created a “bizarre situation” whereby a corporal with the requisite qualifications had been “blocked” from applying for promotion.
“The military authorities have purported to place a sergeant who does not have the qualifications required for the position and who, in reality, is not fulfilling that role,” he states.
Courtney further submits he “never expected” he would have to invoke court procedures and he claims he had “no alternative” but to seek such reliefs.
At the High Court this week, Courtney was granted his ex parte application – where only one side is represented – to pursue his challenge by Justice Mary Rose Gearty, who adjourned the matter to March.
