Tairgim:
Go ndeonófar suim nach mó ná £6,959,800 chun slánaithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31ú lá de Mhárta, 1966, le haghaidh Tuarastail agus Costais Oifig an Aire Cosanta, lena n-áirítear Seirbhísí áirithe atá faoi riaradh na hOifige sin; le haghaidh Pá agus Costais Óglaigh na hÉireann; agus chun Deontas-i-gCabhair a íoc.
Tá an focal "cosaint" débhríoch againne, Eireannaigh, na laethe seo is a rá nach bhfuil muid ag fanacht go mbí ina cogadh ach siud chun siúil muid gach uair da n-iarrann Na Náisiúin Aontaithe orainn a bheith i bpáirt leo ar son na síochána abhfad i gcéin.
Da bhféadfaí a rá linn aimsear an Chongo nár chosnaigh ár gcabhair tada airgid ní h-amhlaidh atá i dtaobh na Cipire a bhfuil a costas sin ar fad ar an tír seo, mar chruthaionn an tsuim airgid breise a bhfuil iarrta ar an Dáil a sholáthair, chun criche an fheachtais Chiprigh.
Muna n-eireoidh leis an iarracht síochánta, sí an chine daonna a bhéas thíos leis. Sin í an am a thiocfas chun cruinnis níos géire ná riamh an brí eile atá leis an bhfocal "cosaint". Níor ghá gur chosaint in aghaidh ionsaí armtha a bheadh le deanamh againn, cé gurb é sin céad raison d'etre na bhFórsaí Cosanta seo againne. Ní h-eadh ar bith. Da dtosaití cogadh le h-adamacht ar an toirt, bheadh fíorchontúirt beagnach ar an teallach orainn ó thús ón as-titim adamach.
Ba mhaith liom tagradh do thaobh sin an chosaint baile is teallaigh. Tá sé le tabhairt faoi deara le tamall anall go rabh suim inti da múscailt níos scaipiúla. Tharla borradh faoi leith faoin gceist nuair hóbar a bheith ina chogadh agus Cuba ina cnámh spáirne idir na Cumhachtaí. Ariamh ó shoin facthas dom go rabh níos mó le feiceál, le cloisteáil agus le sonrú i dtaobh na seirbhíse nuaí seo. Is breá meanmnach daoine, idir óg, níos sine ná óg agus meanaosta agus a mbíonn dothain le deanamh aca cheana ag tabhairt suas a gcuid scíthe ag foghlaim agus ag cleachtú i riocht is go mbeadh sciath cosanta idir an chomharsain agus an anachain. Is gnó gach duine ar mhaithe leis féin réidhchean roimh an uafás. Is gearr go mbí leabhrán eolais da dháileadh ar gach teach agus beidh sé suas do gach ceann tí é féin agus a chúram a chur ar an eolas i dtaobh céard ba chóir dóibh a dheanamh i gcoinne na h-astitime.
Taobh amuigh de chúinsí chogaidh, tá sé cruthaithe ag Cosaint Sibhialta gur mór an chabhair is féidir léí a thabhairt don chomharsain atá sainnithe ag tubaistí eile.
The Estimate for Defence for 1965/ 1966 is for a net sum of £10,440,700, which is an increase of £925,200 over the amount voted for the financial year 1964/65, not taking into account the Supplementary Estimate of £1,954,600 for that financial year about which I shall be speaking later. In other words, the Estimate is £1,029,400 lower than the total amount required for 1964/65. In saying this, however, I must not mislead the House. If the Cyprus operation should continue into 1965/66 —the present United Nations mandate expires on 26th March next— additional money will be required for the payment of the allowance associated with overseas services, and that will also be the case with regard to the revised pay scales for the Defence Forces which I shall mention when speaking about the Supplementary Estimate for 1964/65. No provision has been made for those two matters in the Estimate for 1965/1966, so that I am afraid that a substantial Supplementary Estimate will be necessary later on. The Estimate, I may add, is based on an average strength of 1,143 officers, 82 cadets and 7,000 other ranks.
Since the Estimate for 1964/1965 was debated, the last Irish unit to serve with the United Nations Force in the Congo returned home—in May, 1964. From the time the initial request of the Secretary General of the United Nations was received by the Government in June, 1960, no fewer than 5,273 officers and men of Na Buan Óglaigh served in the 12 units and in the Headquarters staff elements which made up the Irish contingents of the Force over a period of almost four years. Some of the personnel mentioned served on more than one occasion, giving a total of 6,335 separate periods of service. Bearing in mind the size of our armed forces and the size of the country, our contribution must rank as proportionately one of the highest made to the United Nations. Our thanks are due to all the thousands of our men who volunteered to serve the cause of the United Nations and who served that cause so faithfully and so well in the Congo. I think it is a wonderful tribute to the spirit of the Defence Forces that every time a unit was being organised, more than enough volunteers were available. Our renewed sympathy is extended to the families and relatives of the 26 gallant members of our contingents who died in the service of peace, and we hope that their sacrifice will not have been in vain. We should not forget, either, the many who were wounded in action and who have had in some cases to tread the difficult path of rehabilitation and resettlement.
In thanking the Government for the contribution made by this country to the Force in the Congo, the Secretary General of the United Nations, speaking in relation to our soldiers, said: "In their service in the Congo, they have faced many forms of difficulty and danger and have always had to exercise the severest restraint and understanding, no matter how great the provocation or how ominous the risk. In performing their unusual and demanding duties in the Congo, they have been pioneers in international peace-keeping and have written a new and most important chapter in the history of this art."
The resolution to contribute troops to the United Nations Force in Cyprus was debated in the House last April and Deputies will be aware of our continuing commitments in the field of peace-keeping. Indeed it happened that, for a short period last year, we had contingents serving in Cyprus and the Congo simultaneously, while we also had, and continue to have, a number of officers serving in the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation in Palestine. Last April, a battalion of 600 men and a small number of staff for the Headquarters of the United Nations Force were sent to Cyprus. Not long afterwards the Secretary-General called for a further Irish unit, and when our commitments in the Congo ended this unit of 400 men was also supplied. Since August last we have, therefore, had a contingent of something over 1,000 men with the United Nations Force there.
The difficult situation in that troubled country is so well known that it requires no description by me. It underlines, however, the hazardous task with which our troops were faced and the necessity for the exercise by them of strict impartiality in their dealings with the people of Cyprus. I am happy to say that all the reports I have received indicate that the Irish units are doing a fine job. Discipline and morale are of a very high standard and the health of the troops is excellent. Over the past five years, the Army has built up a tradition of service in peace-keeping operations which has brought credit to our troops and to the nation.
Our Defence Forces have, since the end of the last emergency, been relatively small. The contribution made to the United Nations placed an added burden of duty on the staffs and men at home. This added work was accepted cheerfully and executed efficiently and this in itself stands as one of the greatest tributes to the morale and stability of the Defence Forces. Not the least difficult task was the maintenance of efficient training arrangements for An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil. The FCA and its naval counterpart, An Slua Muiri, make up two-thirds of our total strength, and the personnel of these voluntary bodies deserve our admiration and respect. I would encourage them, and like them encouraged, to avail of the facilities afforded by week-end and annual training camps to maintain their standard of efficiency.
It is my pleasant duty again to express my appreciation of the publicspirited activities of many individuals and firms who organised and provided comforts for our troops overseas. The organisers of this valuable work came together spontaneously when the Congo operation started in 1960. Since then their efforts have never ceased nor has their enthusiasm flagged. By their work they provide a valuable channel through which persons and firms who so desire can express, in a practical way, their appreciation of and goodwill towards our troops overseas.
At home, normal activities continued in many and various ways, to some of which the House would no doubt like me to refer particularly. A third helicopter was received, and the Helicopter Service was fully operational throughout the last year. The primary purpose of the helicopters is to carry out air/sea rescue work and to render assistance as may be required in other emergencies. This primary function must take precedence over any other use. Negotiations are however, at present being conducted with the Department of Health with a view to the establishment of a helicopter ambulance service for conveying emergency medical cases, such as brain injury and spinal injury cases, from outlying hospitals to Dublin hospitals. The helicopters have also been used on a few occasions for spotting purposes in fishery protection, but their use in this sphere is limited since they cannot make an arrest or fix the position of foreign fishing vessels with the accuracy required by the courts. Deputies may be interested to know that in the last year, for sea/air rescue purposes, the Service was alerted on 16 occasions, carried out twelve searches and made two actual rescues. Other missions included bringing a patient to hospital, ferrying medical equipment and quite a large number of demonstrations.
While speaking about the helicopter service, I may say that a major problem facing the Air Corps is the difficulty of retaining experienced technicians in service. There is a great demand for these technicians in outside employment, because of the excellent training they receive, and in 1964, the Corps lost 92 technicians, as against an apprentice intake of 39. I have drawn attention in previous years to the worthwhile openings provided by the Apprentice Training Schools at Naas and Baldonnel, which are recognised by the trade unions to the extent that personnel trained and qualified under these schemes may be accepted as journeymen and, on return to civil life, admitted as trade union members. I would like to see young people taking every advantage of these valuable schemes.
The Naval Service continued its fishery protection duties during the year but, due to the shortage of key personnel to man the vessels, it is possible to keep only one vessel operational. Here again, recruitment is not keeping pace with wastage. The extension of fishing limits provided for in the Maritime Jurisdiction (Amendment) Act, 1964, raises the whole question of the adequacy of our fishing protection service. This question is being very thoroughly investigated, but it is one to which there is no easy solution.
The scheme for the training of pilots for Aer Lingus is continuing at Gormanston Camp, and the third trainee class commenced training in December last. Another scheme which is progressing well is that for the training of young fishermen at Haulbowline, where they are accommodated and learn subjects such as seamanship and navigation, in conjunction with further instruction at Cobh Technical School. The scheme is sponsored by the Fisheries Branch of the Department of Lands.
During 1964, two riders and four horses of An Scoil Eachaíochta formed part of mixed military/civilian teams which represented Ireland in the international shows at London and Dublin. Teams from An Scoil also competed at 26 provincial shows and 25 gymkhana during the year. It is expected that Army riders and horses will compete in mixed teams at international shows at Nice, Rome, London and Dublin in 1965. Either a mixed team or an all-Army team is also likely to compete at shows in Harrisburg, New York and Toronto.
I am glad to say that the Civil Defence Organisation has continued to develop satisfactorily during the past year. According to returns submitted by the local authorities the total strength of Civil Defence volunteers on 31st December, 1964, was 17,246, which represents an increase of almost 5,000 on the corresponding figure which I gave last year for 31st December, 1963. This is indeed a most encouraging trend and reflects great credit on all concerned. It is, I think, also indicative of the continuing and growing awareness of the importance of Civil Defence and the existence of a spirit of unselfishness within the community as a whole. During the course of visits which I have continued to make throughout the country to see local civil defence activities in progress, I have been struck by the dedicated manner in which the Civil Defence services in general have been carrying out their work. They are doing what many unfortunately regard as a thankless job and I cannot praise them too highly for their efforts.
I thank those Members of the Oireachtas and local authorities who have shown interest in the development of civil defence. As I said last year, I am again looking forward with confidence to a continued increase in support from the elected representatives of the people so that those volunteers and officials who are actively concerned with civil defence at local level will derive from their support the encouragement which they merit.
The warden service continues to expand and to attract volunteers who have special aptitudes for local leadership. About 60 per cent of the number of District Wardens required have now been trained. Training in all the other services continues and members of some of these services have been of assistance to local authorities in local incidents such as fires, accidents, location of missing persons et cetera.
Last year I referred to the position of control centres at county, subcounty and regional levels. Despite the existence of difficulties which I then indicated some progress towards the implementation of proposals for these controls can be reported. Existing buildings which with certain modifications or adaptations will be suitable as control centres have been selected as county controls in 15 areas. It is expected that work on a number of these controls will be completed by 31st March, 1966. In areas where no suitable existing buildings are available a scheme has been evolved for the building of annexes to existing local authority premises. While these annexes are designed for primary use as control centres, they may also, if required, be used by local authorities for their own needs in peace-time.
I am glad to say that the new arrangements which I outlined last year as to the role which members of the Voluntary Aid Societies would play in civil defence, is beginning to show results. I wish to express my gratitude to the Heads of Cumann Croise Deirge na hÉireann. The St. John Ambulance Brigade of Ireland, and the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps for their co-operation in agreeing to this new arrangement. The total strength of the Casualty Service, including the members of the voluntary aid societies, is now about 4,000.
On the training side there are now 219 training centres throughout the country, that is, 49 additional centres have been opened in the past year. Competitions, exercises, demonstrations, and week-end camps continued to be held by local authorities. These activities are a most important factor in the development of the Civil Defence Organisation inasmuch as they give added experience to units as a whole and weld the service into a more composite and effective organisation.
An important development during the year was the extension of Civil Defence measures to Government Departments. A series of courses for the training of Civil Defence officers and instructors for all Departments of State was commenced with a view to giving instruction in civil defence to Departmental staffs. The training of instructors for local authorities, Defence Forces, and Garda Síochána continued during the year at An Scoil Cosanta Sibhialta. A lecture hall and associated improved amenities to which I referred last year are now in use in the School.
During the past year arrangements were well advanced for the printing of a booklet which sets out in simple terms general information as to the hazards of nuclear warfare and the measures which people could take to mitigate such hazards. It is hoped to have these booklets issued to every householder within the next few months.
Looking at the individual subheads, it will be seen that there are substantial increases in all the pay and allowances subheads, A, B, C, D, E and F. During 1964, we had the ninth round increase in remuneration and very big increases in children's allowances and in other allowances such as ration allowance and travelling and subsistence allowances. Because of the size of these subheads, all others had been cut to the bone, only the most essential expenditure being provided for. Indeed, many things which ordinarily we would regard as essential have had to be omitted. The largest increases are in Subhead M—Clothing and Equipment, Subhead P— Naval Stores, Subhead S—Buildings, Subhead T—Barrack Services, Subhead Y—Post Office Services and Subhead DD—Lands. The Clothing and Equipment provision of £454,000 includes £200,000 for mobilisation stocks which are being built up. The initial issue of new type uniform is now almost completed and is an improvement, both in appearance and comfort, on the former one.
The increase in the Naval Stores subhead is due to a provision of £65,000 for two launches required to maintain communication with Spike Island when the proposed bridge linking Haulbowline with the mainland is completed. The only passage capable of being navigated at all tides is what is known as the "back channel", which will be crossed by the proposed bridge. Existing launches will not be able to pass under the bridge, so that two new ones will have to be designed and constructed. The alternative would be to build a bridge with an opening span, and this course was not considered satisfactory.
The provision for buildings covers a variety of proposed works, including the modernisation of men's billet blocks, modernisation of old type soldiers' married quarters, and further accommodation for An Forsa Cosanta Áitiúil in rural areas. Provision is made for the erection of 20 houses for soldiers in Athlone and for a further six which it is hoped to build in some other area—possibly Limerick. These would bring the total built in recent years to 196, and it is intended to continue the policy, to which I have referred previously, of supplementing local authorities' efforts in the provision of housing by providing, from the Vote for Defence, houses for married soldiers at centres throughout the country where there is the greatest need. The increased provision in Subhead T, Barrack Services, reflects the increased costs involved in the continuation of the programme of improved dining halls and billets in pursuance of the policy of improving amenities for soldiers living in barracks.
The increase for Post Office Services —£33,200—is something over which we had no control; it reflects the increased cost of postage, telegrams and telephones. The increased provision of £10,410 in Subhead DD— Lands—arises from the proposed acquisition of premises for a Civil Defence Regional Headquarters.
On the other hand, Subheads G— Civil Defence, J—Mechanical Transport and 02—Helicopters are very much reduced. Civil Defence equipment and stores have been built up very much over a number of years so that, even with the increased training requirements of the expanding organisation, the expenditure in the coming year will be substantially less. As to mechanical transport, large purchases had to be made last year to replace vehicles written off in the Congo, and their replacement is nearing completion. Most of the heavier type vehicles being purchased are powered by diesel engines, which follows current commercial practice. In the coming year there will be no capital expenditure on helicopters, and that explains the reduction in the Subhead.
A provision of £22,000 by way of grant-in-aid to Cumann Croise Deirge na hÉireann is included under Subhead BB. This includes a sum of £3,000 for the Emergency Relief Fund. In the past year assistance amounting to over £2,000 has been given from the Fund to distressed areas in South Korea, Pakistan, the Yemen, South Vietnam, Tunisia and Morocco. An Cumann continues to maintain the North China refugees at its home, Naomh Aindreas, in Dublin and a sum of £4,250 is provided for this worthy undertaking. Cumann Croise Deirge na hÉireann continues its excellent humanitarian work and I wish again to express my appreciation of its many and varied activities in the relief of suffering. In addition to its other activities An Cumann is this year organising Old People's Year in order to focus the interest of the public on the problems of the old. Specifically An Cumann, through its various committees throughout the country, expects this year to organise home helps, home nursing and visits to old people. This undertaking is in keeping with the many humanitarian works on which An Cumann engages and I hope that it will be well supported by the public. Our thanks are due to Cumann Croise Deirge na hÉireann also for the magnificent work being done in the organisation of the country's Freedom from Hunger Campaign.
As Deputies may be aware, arrangements have been made by the Government to provide An Cumann with a more suitable headquarters building. Suitable premises were purchased recently and it is expected that An Cumann will occupy the building this year.
As regards the Estimate for Army Pensions, the provision is for the sum of £2,377,130, being an increase of £61,4311 over that for 1964/1965, as itself increased by £45,049 transferred from the Vote for Increases in Pensions in respect of the 1964 Budgetary increases. These increases were 5 per cent on all pensions and allowances, except special allowances. For special allowance purposes, all "appropriate annual sums" were increased by £4, which is approximately 5 per cent of the average special allowance.
As to the Estimate itself, there is very little that I need say, as it follows the usual pattern. The provisions for retired pay and pensions under the Defence Forces (Pensions) Schemes, Subhead E, and for special allowances, Subhead H, continue to increase substantially, while that for military service pensions, Subhead D, shows a further decline, naturally enough, although regrettable, with the passage of time.
Up to now, budgetary increases in pensions and allowances had been the subject of amending legislation, the consideration of which has been burdensome for both Houses of the Oireachtas. Arrangements are being made to deal with such increases, commencing with the 1964 increases, by way of orders or similar instruments which will only have to be laid before each House and which need not be debated unless objection is seen to them in any respect.
I hope to be able to introduce, in the not too distant future, legislation to bring about some alterations which, I feel sure, will meet with the fullest approval of all Deputies. The first is that the payment of married pensions and widows' and children's allowances will not depend on the date of marriage, as they do at present, and the second is that where a pensioner with a high degree of pensionable disability dies, his widow and children will be eligible for allowances, even if it is not clearly established that he died of his pensionable disability.
These proposals will be incorporated in a Bill with some others not of the same importance—tidying-up provisions, so to speak—following which I hope that we can go ahead with the consolidation of the Army Pensions Acts, something that has been long desired.
The Supplementary Estimate for Defence for the year 1964/1965 is for a net sum of £1,954,600 and, as Deputies will see from the details given, it arises almost entirely from increases in pay and allowances and the expenses of the Cyprus operation. The ninth round increases, which affected salaries, wages, pay and marriage allowance, came into operation as from 1st February, 1964, and as no provision had been made for them in the Vote for 1964/1965, this Supplementary Estimate now makes the necessary provision as regards the Defence Forces, the Civil Service staff of the Department of Defence and civilians employed with the Defence Forces.
It also covers other substantial increases—particularly in children's allowances—which came into force during the year with retrospective effect. Lastly, revised salary scales have been coming into operation for Civil Service grades for some time past with effect from 1st January, 1964, and revised scales are about to be introduced for the Defence Forces with effect from the same date. The Supplementary Estimate also provides for the cost of these up to the end of the year 1964/1965.
Deputies are already aware of the financial arrangements applying to the supply of Irish contingents to the United Nations Force in Cyprus. As the Minister for External Affairs reminded the House recently, this country has declined to accept reimbursement of the customary United Nations allowances for our troops because the Cyprus operation is being financed from a voluntary fund rather than one contributed to by all the member States as part of their regular assessment. Nevertheless, we regard our costs as a debt due to us by the United Nations and we intend to keep pressing for repayment.
The two principal items of Cyprus expenditure for which the Supplementary Estimate provides are £337,826 overseas allowances and per diem allowances for members of our contingents and £257,500 for the purchase of equipment. As to equipment, the main purchase consisted of 16 Panhard armoured cars, eight of which were acquired in 1963/1964 and the others during the present financial year, the total cost being in the region of £415,000. Of this, the sum of £156,000 approximately was met from the Vote for 1963/1964 and this Supplementary Estimate now provides, at Subhead H, for the balance of £257,500. It is our intention, of course, that these armoured cars will be brought back to Ireland when the Cyprus operation ends, and they will form a valuable addition to our defensive equipment.
