asked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures whether he has received from the Monaghan County Council an application for sanction for expenditure not exceeding £100 to supply first aid equipment for Red Cross posts in the county, and whether in view of the emergency he will give such sanction without delay.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Equipment for Red Cross Posts.
An application from the Monaghan County Council for sanction for expenditure not exceeding £100 for the equipment of first aid posts in the county has been received. Drugs and dressings required generally throughout the country for emergency purposes are being purchased centrally and will be issued to the local authorities. I am not in the meanwhile prepared to approve of purchases through individual authorities.
May I point out to the Parliamentary Secretary that there ought to be a little give and take in these matters? As a matter of fact, as a result of the delay on the part of the Department of Defence in paying marriage allowances to the wives and dependants of new recruits, the Dublin Board of Assistance have had to relieve an extra 650 cases at a cost to the ratepayers of the City of Dublin of £400 a week.
That does not arise on this question.
Arising out of the Parliamentary Secretary's reply, does he not appreciate that the necessity of maintaining morale amongst a new organisation like the Red Cross largely depends on securing equipment so that the members will be in the best condition for training? In the case of the Monaghan area, is it not true that they have their personnel available but no materials wherewith to put them to work? In that situation, would the Parliamentary Secretary not permit the local authority to stimulate the business of the organisation under the direction of the county medical officer of health by buying sufficient supplies to enable the body to carry on until the supplies come from the central authority?
I do not think any difficulty of the kind suggested by Deputy Dillon exists. It would create destruction rather than organisation if we did permit every sectional organisation—if one may describe a county council as such—to purchase locally. It would make it very difficult for us to find out exactly what amount of drugs were in the country and available in an emergency. We think this is a better way to do it, and a more speedy way.
Have the Monaghan County Council got the equipment that they require? They have been waiting for it for the last two months. They have got the personnel, and all they want is to get the equipment so that they can get on with their job. They are held up because they cannot get anything from the central authority.
In view of the fact that we are in daily danger of invasion, will the Parliamentary Secretary say how local authorities are to have sufficient supplies made available to them?
I understand from the Department of Local Government that at the present moment all hospitals under the control of that Department have a seven months' supply over and above their usual supplies, and that all the voluntary hospitals were circularised by the Department of Local Government and advised to lay in stocks. That has been done. Therefore, as far as any suggestion of slackness to meet immediate requirements is concerned, it can be said that all the hospitals, in every area, are fully stocked.
Is it not daft to be sending me out on the hustings to appeal to men and women to join the Red Cross, and then, when they do join, to find that we cannot and will not give them anything to work with? Surely there is no use in having me stumping the country appealing to people to join the Red Cross if we do not and will not give them the wherewithal to work. My information is that the Monaghan County Council cannot get for the Red Cross units functioning in the county under the direction of the county medical officer of health the wherewithal to train their members. The Parliamentary Secretary tells us, apparently, that he does not intend to give them any supplies in the immediate future. Can they look forward to getting any of these supplies before a given date?
What supplies is the Deputy referring to?
Those mentioned.
In the list of supplies asked for by the Monaghan County Council I find bottles of aspirins and medicated cotton wool. How far would the provision of these contribute to the training of the personnel of the Red Cross in Monaghan? The Central Society of the Red Cross here is providing stretchers and equipment for training immediately. I do not think it is any function of mine to tell the Red Cross how they are to organise. Some time ago, in the House, when a reference was made by the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures, in some connection or other, to the Red Cross, Deputy Dillon and Deputy O'Higgins got very indignant because of the Minister's interference with the Red Cross. I do not propose to interfere with them.
Those people want help, and that is all. Would the Parliamentary Secretary write to the Monaghan County Council and tell them what materials they should not ask for, and where they can get the materials they have asked for and that they think they ought to have? That is all I want. I want to get the stuff for the Monaghan County Council, and that is all.
If the Deputy wants to be helpful he should not confuse the issue. The Monaghan County Council have asked for certain drugs and dressings that we have. We are purchasing these centrally, and they will be supplied to each county. Drugs and dressings are not required immediately for the purpose of training personnel. The Central Red Cross Society is supplying the necessary equipment for training.
When will the Parliamentary Secretary give the drugs and the dressings that he proposes to distribute to each county?
Immediately.
Can I say that they will have them before the 15th August?
Yes.