asked the President whether, in view of the fact that posts in Government employment are now being reserved for men who served in the National Army, he will give consideration to the claims of those men who were unable to join the National Army on account of wounds received in the European War and hold them eligible for employment.
CEISTEANNA.—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - EMPLOYMENT FOR WOUNDED EUROPEAN WAR SOLDIERS.
The temporary reservation of posts in Government Departments for men who have given service with the National Forces is a necessary contribution towards relieving the unemployment immediately consequent on demobilisation, and I fear it would not be practicable to except any particular class of persons from the operations of the regulation. I do not think there are many cases of the type alluded to by the Deputy affected by it.
As there are very few cases, perhaps the President might see his way to do something in the matter.
Arising out of that answer, are there not I.R.A. Volunteers who fought in the Anglo-Irish War? Have they not the first claim?
I should say before demobilisation started we concentrated upon those people referred to by the Deputy. The services of one Deputy Minister were almost entirely taken up with seeing that I.R.A. Volunteers got any positions vacant at the time. Of course, it must be remembered that we have not got the dispensation of many posts, and that it is impossible to provide for all of these cases.
I quite agree with you.