Vol. 34 No. 19
I move:—
Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £920,032 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1931, chun Costas an Airm, maraon le Cúltaca an Airm.
That a sum not exceeding £920,032 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1931, for the cost of the Army, including Army Reserve.
I do not propose to delay the House long, as the Army has been very considerably discussed on other occasions since Christmas last. It will be seen that the Estimate is much the same as last year. That is to say, last year we got down to within the figure indicated as the normal figure for Army expenditure some years previously. We are quite satisfied that we will continue within that figure. The variation in the sub-heads allows for the natural fluctuation indicated by the differing needs of one year over another. The biggest change naturally is in relation to the Reserve. It will be remembered that last year we added a new branch to the Army in the way of a Volunteer Reserve. The "A" and "B" Reserve continued to grow. That explains the increase in that sub-head. I think that it is the biggest increase there is. As the Army College will be opening shortly we have found it necessary to put down a larger sum for military educational courses, as it may be necessary from time to time to send specially selected officers abroad to learn certain matters in regard to the more technical side of their profession. The equitation side of the Army has been enlarged, so that we now propose to have our team competing in various countries at horse shows. Already, I think, as the House knows, they have been very successful in the shows in which they competed last year. There have been no new developments in the Army. The House seemed to show a certain curiosity about the development of the Volunteer Reserve. During July and other months of the summer between 700 and 800 Volunteers will be undergoing training in various camps in the country. As the Army has been very much discussed since Christmas and as the Estimate speaks for itself, I do not know of any other matter which is of particular interest to the House.
As the Minister for Defence says, the policy of the Government in relation to the Army has been pretty fully discussed this year. I do not think that anything that we may say here to-day would be likely to alter that policy. We have already stated what we think of the Government expenditure of this huge sum, a total amounting to £1,789,000. We do not believe that the country gets value for the money expended in this direction, and we propose to vote against the Estimate.
I would like to ask the Minister whether it is his intention or policy to allow the cadets of the O.T.C. to specialise in any particular branch of military activity. I understand that a large number of cadets are particularly interested in one branch of the Army and are anxious to be drafted into that particular section, the technical section. I do not know whether the Minister would be prepared to allow them to do so. With regard to the sub-head which was referred to last year, that in connection with a sum of £10 for assistance to civil aviation, I understand that the Minister for Defence is not the Minister responsible for the development of civil aviation, and I presume that if I do not go into that matter on this Vote we will be entitled to discuss it on the Vote of the Department of Industry and Commerce, because the Minister for Industry and Commerce is, I understand, responsible for the development of civil aviation. The only reason that I raise this now is because there is no mention in the Estimates of the Ministry for Industry and Commerce of any sum being voted to the development of civil aviation.
What is the purpose of the sub-head here?
The purpose is that as we allow certain accommodation to be put at the disposal of the Civil Aviation Club, or whatever it is called, we are bound to indicate that in our estimate. It does not represent a cost to the Army.
It does not represent policy?
No.
Then the matter can be raised on the Vote for the salary of the Minister for Industry and Commerce.
As to the question that Deputy Esmonde put to me about the O.T.C. and special services, naturally when a man joins the Volunteers as a cadet, his first training will be in the more fundamental things connected with the military profession, that is to say, more infantry training. We are prepared to allow them to specialise within certain limits. We have also to take into consideration the methods of their training. Their training is mostly in the evenings and they have only a fortnight or three weeks fulltime training in the summer, but within the limits of possibilities they will be allowed to act for one service more than another.
