Having heard the statement made by the Minister I would like to say at the outset that it is not our intention to oppose this Bill in any way. Over a number of years we have had a similar measure coming before the Seanad. On every occasion on which such a measure came before the House I will not say that it was opposed, but it was very definitely criticised by the then Opposition. Now that we have the efficiency experts in the position in which they can put their ideas into effective operation, it is only natural to expect that this will be the last time we will be faced with a Bill of this kind. I believe we should have a permanent measure dealing with the Army, and, as that course has been advocated for a number of years by the Opposition, as they were then, and now on the Government Benches, I hope they will put their ideas into effective operation before this time 12 months.
With regard to talking all stages of the Bill to-day, neither I nor the people on this side of the House who were formerly on the other side ever opposed the taking of all stages. There were a few people who did and, while I do not like to mention names, I cannot avoid mentioning a few—Senator Hayes, Senator Baxter and Senator Duffy, who, I am sorry to see, is not in the front bench where I expected him to be. I appeal to them not to object to-day, but to give the Minister all stages. As has been pointed out by the Minister, it is a matter of urgency, and if by any chance the Seanad were to adopt the contrary attitude of objecting to the measure being taken through all stages, it would cause a lot of inconvenience which would not do any good to any Party in the House, if there are any Parties in the House, and would certainly do no good to the country.
On the question of Army policy, no reasonable person would expect that we should have a discussion on Army policy, as such, at this stage. The Minister has been in office for a matter of only a couple of weeks and I was glad to hear his statement to the effect that, so far as he is personally concerned, there would be no curtailment of pay and no interference with the conditions of any officer or N.C.O. We have had a lot of what the Minister referred to as unreliable and groundless suggestions and conversations. We had, as I am quite sure the Minister will agree, a lot of wild statements made by various sections who now form the Government, during the election campaign and even since the election campaign, to the effect that certain economies were necessary and that these various Parties who were criticising the previous Government for what they termed their lavish expenditure would insist on these economies. One Department which got special notice in that respect was the Department of Defence. It was suggested by numerous speakers during the election that the Army was entirely too big for a country of this size and that, if and when they were returned as the Government, they would reduce the Army. I appeal to the Minister not to be carried away by any of this wild talk by irresponsible people, by people who perhaps did not expect to find themselves in the position in which they would have to implement their promises.
I should like the Minister to realise, as I am sure most of the people here realise, that the men now serving in the Army are the men who held the front lines, so far as the country is concerned, during the war, and, while it is not necessary for us to go into the various reasons why we were not invaded, one of the principal reasons was that a lot of young men, representative of every section of the community, of every political organisation and even of families who disagreed violently with the Government on various matters flocked into the Army. Because we had a solid front in that Army and because we had a number of very efficient and responsible officers prepared to take charge of that Army, and, if necessary, to risk their lives, this country was saved during those seven terrible years. If there was any suggestion of reducing that Army—in other words, of dismissing a number of these men—pensioning them off and throwing them back on the waves of the world, throwing them into a new life for which they are not very well prepared and to which they did not look forward, it would be a disastrous step and definitely a step in the wrong direction.
I am well aware that it is the policy of the Government to introduce economies here and there, and I know very well that some people will say to themselves: "No matter what we cut down on, provided we can say that we are saving the State hundreds of pounds or thousands of pounds, it will be a popular move"; but I appeal to the Minister not to be carried away by ideas or suggestions of that kind. I have particularly in mind in this connection the Army jumping team. I am aware that there are some people in the Government, and in the country, for that matter, who would say to themselves: "Here is one item of expenditure on which we can cut down." I do not believe that would be good policy; it would, in fact, be a very shortsighted policy, because, as somebody said a good many years ago, the horsebreeding industry of this country is of the utmost importance. It is one of our foremost industries, and, apart altogether from its value as an industry, I believe that the jumping team, the officers and the horses of the Irish Army jumping team, are our ambassadors all over the world and the best possible ambassadors we could send out.
With regard to the Army as a whole, the suggestion has been made, and several people who are now in the Cumann na nGaedheal Government, as I regard it, have said, that the Army would be cut down. If anybody can tell me that we are facing a period of world peace, then I should be prepared to consider the advisability of cutting down the Army. One man's guess is as good as another's, but I, as an individual, believe that we are facing a very disturbed period in the world, and particularly in Europe. I believe it is up to us not alone to keep the Army at its present strength but at greater strength, and rather than cut down the Army for the sake of saving a few pounds here and there, we should try to make our Army more perfect, if that is possible, and try to arrange that, if and when another emergency arises, we shall again be able to sink our political differences, if there are any left, and come together in appealing to the young men to respond as they responded in the past for the sake of the country. Rather than create any doubt in the minds of the officers and men in the Army, it should go out from this House to-day that we, regardless of political Parties, appreciate the sacrifices made by these men in the past, and that, so far as we can do it, not alone will their positions remain as they were under the previous Government, but, if possible, they will be improved and made more secure.