asked the Minister for Defence if a directive has been issued by the Army Finance Department to the effect that FCA personnel who served for 14 days or more this year will not be eligible to attend annual training; and, if so, why.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - FCA Training.
32.
The training arrangements for An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil in 1971 provide for the normal 14 days continuous full-time annual training and this period is applicable to all effective members of An Fórsa.
It follows that any man who has already completed 14 days continuous annual training since the 1st January, 1971, will not again be called out for annual training. There is, however, provision for the calling out of personnel for courses of instruction involving guard and patrol duties in addition to the 14 days annual training. As indicated in my reply to Question No. 48 on the 1st instant, this is controlled with a view to ensuring that these duties are carried out as economically as possible, regard being had to the availability of personnel of the Permanent Defence Force and the First Line Reserve for such duties. Consequently only a limited number of FCA personnel would be employed on the duties mentioned.
Would the Minister mind removing his files from over the microphone?
They are not over it.
It is very hard to hear the Minister.
I am very close to the Minister and I could not hear the first part of his reply, but I assume what he said was that those who had been called up to defend and protect important installations were to have this service treated as if in fact it was 14 days training and would consequently be deprived of their annual training as a result.
I can assure the Deputy that is not the case.
I cannot ask the Minister to repeat his long reply again but I assure him I did not hear the first part of it.
With the permission of the Chair. I have no objection to reading it again.
The training arrangements for An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil in 1971 provide for the normal 14 days continuous full-time annual training and this period is applicable to all effective members of An Fórsa.
It follows that any man who has already completed 14 days continuous annual training since the 1st January, 1971, will not again be called out for annual training.
Does that mean if he has been called out for 14 days duty that duty is considered as being annual training? That is what the Minister's order means to the people concerned.
It refers only to continuous training.
Will the Minister check on it and see if somebody has misinterpreted that because these people are being told if they were called out on duty it is being treated as training and they will not be called out again?
If the Deputy could assist me by giving me any information of particular cases I should be glad to do so.
Would the Minister check to make sure that somebody did not make a mistake in sending it out as happened in the case of the Minister for Social Welfare's dole order?
I am quite confident the position is as I have stated.
So was the Minister for Social Welfare for about three days.