asked the Minister for Defence if he will state how many members of the First Line Reserve (a) have sought permission to emigrate or reside outside the State; (b) have obtained such permission and (c) are estimated to have left the State without seeking or obtaining permission.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Emigration of Reservists
1,317 members of the First Line Reserve sought permission to emigrate or reside outside the State and all obtained the necessary permission to do so.
It is not possible to estimate readily the total number of members who have left the State without seeking or obtaining the requisite permission.
Would the Minister not think that some useful purpose might be served in examining the cases of those members of the F.C.A. who have been struck off the rolls in the circumstances mentioned by him to Deputy Collins, if it were inquired into how many of them absenting themselves from parades? Might this not be a useful indicator to the Minister for Industry and Commerce of the extent to which emigration is qualifying the unemployment figure?
I think the Deputy is referring to the previous question. This question deals with the First Line Reserve. I am informed that as far as is known practically half of the number who went away have since returned.
Does this not reveal an alarming position? Practically one-sixth of the men of the First Line Reserve—the men who gave service under arms to this country—were forced to emigrate in a period of three years?
That does not follow at all.
It would be useful to clear that up.