asked the Minister for Defence if he will state the reason for the regulation which prescribes that soldiers married after the 5th June, 1942, shall have rendered at least two years' service and be over 23 years of age before their wives become eligible to receive a marriage allowance; and if, in view of the hardships caused by it, he will cause its abolition.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Soldiers' Marriage Allowances.
It has at all times been recognised policy that a soldier should have rendered a minimum period of service and have reached a minimum age before becoming eligible for the payment of marriage allowance.
Accordingly, the period of service has been prescribed as two years and the minimum age fixed at 23 years. It is not proposed to abolish these provisions.
But the Parliamentary Secretary has not given any reason for the regulation. Would it be true to say that the only reason for it is that of economy? It is a survival from the Middle Ages, when professional armies were recruited from bands of rovers and down and outs, who were glad to get merely sufficient food for themselves and who were given only the very minimum commensurate with the avoidance of revolt.
I think that a Deputy who pleads the case of the poor so much is making a terrible reflection on the Army in saying that it has been recruited only from down and outs.
Deputy Byrne never said that the Army was recruited from down and outs.
Pardon me, I understood that he did so, and I resented it.
He never said any such thing.
The conditions are much more rigid and adverse to men contemplating marriage or married, and every consideration was taken into account in making the new arrangement, which resulted in the conditions operative from the 5th June, 1942. It is not proposed to make any further change.