I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £5,511,600 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1955, for the Defence Forces (including certain Grants-in-Aid) under the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Acts, and for certain administrative expenses in connection therewith; for certain expenses under the Offences against the State Acts 1939 and 1940 (No. 13 of 1939 and No. 2 of 1940) and the Air-raid Precautions Acts, 1939 and 1946 (No. 21 of 1939 and No. 28 of 1946); for expenses in connection with the issue of medals, etc.; for expenses of the Bureau of Military History; and for a Grant-in-Aid of the Irish Red Cross Society (No. 32 of 1938).
I should like to say, in introducing this Estimate, that it was prepared by my predecessor in office. The gross Estimate for 1954/1955 is £8,443,772, and the net Estimate, after anticipated Appropriations-in-Aid have been deducted, is £8,267,300. This represents an increase of £382,380 on the original net Estimate for 1953/1954, but account must be taken of the sum of £323,380 provided in respect of last year from the Vote for Increases in Remuneration. In the light of that sum, the net increase is £59,000. As the previous Minister for Finance indicated in his Budget statement, however, it has already been decided that the net provision of £1,800,000 in sub-head P for defensive equipment should be taken to be £1,000,000 only, or a reduction in that sub-head of £800,000.
I may, perhaps, deal first with the provision for the pay, allowances and maintenance of the members of the permanent force. This provision is spread over a number of sub-heads, and it totals £4,215,255 or almost 50 per cent. of the entire gross Estimate. As has been customary, the Estimate is framed on the basis of the full peace establishment, which is 1,273 officers and 11,542 other ranks, with appropriate deductions in respect of the numbers by which the actual strength is likely to be below establishments during the year. At present, the officer strength is 113 below establishments. Twenty-four cadets are to be commissioned this year; a further 42 are in training and 42 are to be recruited. As regards other ranks, the Estimate, after the deductions which I have mentioned, covers an average strength of 9,500 over the year.
The Estimate also contains substantial provision for the pay, allowances and maintenance of the Reserve. The provision under these headings for the First Line Reserve amounts to £77,219. This is actually an increase of about £7,000 on last year's figure, but this is largely attributable to higher rates of pay, as the numbers provided for—3,279—are somewhat lower than last year's, which was 3,304. The provision for the Second Line Reserve, which consists of An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil and An Slua Muiri, amounts to £273,800. The corresponding provision last year was £198,380. Here again, the increased rates of pay are largely responsible for the increase.
With regard to sub-head P, which relates to defensive equipment, the net provision is, as I have already mentioned, to be regarded as £1,000,000. The actual commitments for this year, which will have to be met, amount to £685,087. I am considering the question of the extent to which the balance of the £1,000,000 should be expended this year.
The gross estimated requirement for civil defence, as shown in sub-head P (1) is £112,658. As it is anticipated that all the equipment ordered may not be available within the year, a deduction of £50,000 has been made, leaving the net provision at £62,658.
Since the setting up of the Civil Defence School, some 150 instructors have been trained for the purpose of imparting instruction to the nucleus of the local civil defence organisation. Orders have been placed for a considerable quantity of the equipment provided for in the Estimates. It is expected that the bulk of this equipment will be issued to local authorities this year, thus enabling local training to commence. The principal items of equipment provided for are six rescue training sets, one in each of six important centres, for the purpose of teaching rescue technique, and specially constructed rescue vehicles with the necessary equipment for training and, should the need arise, operational purposes. Provision is also made for grants to local authorities towards the expenditure involved for civil defence officers, local training of recruits, etc. Progress reported; the Committee to sit again.