asked the Minister for Defence if he will state why there is a regulation in force whereby no one can be admitted to the F.C.A. until uniform is available; if he is aware that young men anxious to join and to train in the ranks of the F.C.A. are prevented from doing so because of this regulation; and, if so, whether he will annul the regulation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - F.C.A. Regulation.
In May last an instruction was issued by the military authorities directing that, on a potential recruit for the F.C.A. first presenting himself for attestation, he should be measured for uniform and informed that he would be communicated with further and instructed as to where and when he would be attested and supplied with uniform. The main object of this procedure is to ensure that every man will be provided with uniform before he appears on parades.
Local units of necessity carry only very small stocks of uniform and individual requirements in this respect frequently require to be requisitioned from Command Headquarters where a variety of different sizes is stored.
While the new procedure involved some short delay in the attestation of new recruits, I doubt whether it prevents any man genuinely anxious to join An Fórsa from doing so.
Is the Minister aware—he must be aware, because the attention of the Army authorities has been directed to it—that in Laois a large number of young men anxious to join cannot do so because this regulation prevents them? Does the Minister consider that it is more important for the members of the F.C.A. to have an overcoat than to be trained in the use of arms and turned out as trained members of a citizen army?
I am sure the Army authorities are better informed than the Deputy.
Is the Minister aware that the statement to which Deputy Flanagan has referred was made by an area officer? In view of the surplus supplies of manufactured clothing, what is the difficulty about providing proper uniforms?
The difficulty is as I have stated in reply to the question.