asked the Minister for Defence if he considers that the current advertisement campaign titled "Join the Defence Forces" and the brocure of the same name are in contravention of the Employment Equality Act, 1977, as women are not featured in either and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Defence Forces Recruitment.
31.
The Employment Equality Act does not apply to employment in the Defence Forces. The current advertising campaign is concerned with the recruitment of men for general service in the Defence Forces. As women are not as yet being recruited for such service they are not featured in the campaign. It is intended that an intake of female recruits for general service in the Defence Forces will commence as soon as it practicable and appropriate and advertising literature will then be provided.
Is it not a fact that the advertising brochure for the Army has as its main message the theme that life in the Army is a man's job? Regardless of whether or not recruitment is governed by the Employment Equality Act, would the Minister not agree that this is a flagrant breach of the spirit of that Act?
No. When the recruiting campaign for women begins we will have suitable literature.
Can I take it that the Minister's reply that the Employment Equality Act does not govern the Defence Forces explains the fact that, whereas male entry to the cadetships does not require third level academic qualifications, women's entry to the female cadetships does?
No. The reason why a third level qualification is required as far as women are concerned is that, as the Deputy is probably aware, male cadets first qualify as officers and then take a course in the university. In order to have officers available as quickly as possible in the Women's Corps it was decided to invite applications from women who already had university qualifications.
Has the Minister not admitted that he is inviting recruitment from men and women to cadetships in the Defence Forces on different terms and that the women have been asked to have higher educational qualifications than the men?
The Deputy should be aware that there is need for speed in relation to the training of women cadets because we cannot form a Women's Corps until such time as the officers are trained.
Would the Minister not accept that there is a very substantial cash benefit to male recruits to cadetships who are accepted subsequently for places in third level institutions and that effectively their third level education is paid for by the Army? Why not extend the same facilities to female recruits to cadetships?
In due course this will be the position. Women will be recruited to cadetships on the same basis as men.
Equality, but not yet.
Would it not be advisable, since we are trying to get it across to women that there is an attractive career for them in the Army, to avail of the opportunity to include women in the brochure?
The Deputy might raise the matter on his own question, which is next on the Order Paper.
As already pointed out, we will provide literature which will include the information the Deputy has suggested.
I understand that, but is there any specific reason why they were left out of the present brochure?
We have not begun recruiting women to the Women's Corps as yet. Immediately we do we will have the necessary information made available.
32.
asked the Minister for Defence if he will give details of the planned programme for the recruitment of the women's corps in the Army.
The first four cadets of the Women's Service Corps reported to the Military College on 10 March 1980 and are at present undergoing a course of training there. General recruitment will be initiated as soon as circumstances permit. The availability of trained officers is a prerequisite to such recruitment.
When will that opportunity arise?
As soon as the officers are trained.
Could the Minister give any indication when that will happen?
Early next year.
Will they have to be trained before we embark on recruitment?
We must have the officers trained first.
I accept that.
We advertised in the hope that we might be able to get some officers earlier than we could train them ourselves, but we were unsuccessful.
The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.