Vol. 507 No. 3
36 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Defence his Department's action plan to improve the representation of women in the Army, Navy and Air Corps; the initiatives taken to date; his response to the figures published in Parliamentary Questions Nos. 31 and 133 of 1 April 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12686/99]
The Government is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women in the Defence Forces, including the reserve Defence Force, and to the full participation by women in all aspects of Defence Forces activities. Women are eligible for service in the Army, Air Corps, Naval Service and in the reserve Defence Force and to compete for all appointments on an equal basis and under the same general conditions as those which apply to men. All female personnel undergo the same training and receive the same military education as their male counterparts.
In order to encourage increased participation by women in the Defence Forces I decided last year to reduce the height requirement for all female recruits to 5'4".
