I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £5,747,467 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st day of March, 1945, for the Army and the Army Reserve (including certain Grants-in-Aid) under the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Acts, and for certain administrative Expenses in connection therewith; for the Expenses of the Office of the Minister for the Co-Ordination of Defensive Measures; for Expenses in connection with the trial and detention of certain persons (No. 28 of 1939, No. 1 of 1940, and No. 16 of 1940, etc.); for certain Expenses under the Offences Against the State Acts, 1939 and 1940 (No. 13 of 1939 and No. 2 of 1940) and the Air-raid Precautions Act, 1939 (No. 21 of 1939); for Reserve Medical Supplies for Civilian Hospitals; for certain Expenses of the L.D.F. (including Grants-in-Aid) (No. 28 of 1939); for Expenses in connection with the issue of Medals commemorating the 1916 Rising, etc.; for certain Expenses in connection with the National Blood Transfusion Council; and for a Grant to the Irish Red Cross Society.
The increase of £112,803 for the Army Vote 1944-45 is due almost entirely to the increased cost of the pay, allowances and the maintenance of personnel. Despite the many inducements by way of better pay, allowances and general serving conditions, the influx of recruits into the Army is not all that could be wished. As the Taoiseach has pointed out, this country is not safe until the last shot in this war has been fired. I appeal, therefore, to every Deputy, as far as in him lies, to bring home to the country generally, and to its youth particularly, the urgent need of the Army for fresh recruits.
The problem of organising the men and the material available, so as to make the Army the most effective striking unit possible, has continued to engage the attention of the General Headquarters Staff during the past year. All the lessons learned during the large-scale exercises in the summer of 1942 have been put into practice. For a variety of reasons, the field exercises of units have had to be restricted during the past year, but the majority of units have been subjected to detailed inspections by the General Headquarters Staff and, not only has their efficiency been improved, but their training has been taken under a much more direct control than was possible heretofore. Intensive training, both of individuals and formations, has continued throughout the year and Deputies may rest assured that, as far as the equipment available allows, the Army has been trained to a very high degree of efficiency. The supply of warlike equipment is one over which we have little control and, though deliveries during the year have not been all we should like, they have not been unsubstantial and have formed a welcome addition to our supply.
The stamina and physical condition of the troops throughout the year have continued to be of a high order, and I am glad to be able to report once more that there has been no serious epidemic of any form of disease. In order to alleviate the hardship to men who have to be discharged medically unfit through tuberculosis, we are at present building a special Army tuberculosis hospital where they will be held until room can be found for them in civilian sanatoria. This decision will help to solve the problem, often raised in this House, of discharging tubercular patients to their homes before they can be accommodated in local sanatoria.
Despite the fact that most of the troops have now been serving for a period of four years and that they have undergone periods of arduous training and performed responsible guard duties, I am able to say that the present discipline of the Army is as high as its physical fitness and as its efficiency in training. Its loyalty and its morale are beyond question and are something of which the whole country may be justly proud.
Attention is constantly being given to improving the conditions under which soldiers are serving, and outstanding in this respect during the year under review has been the increase in marriage and subsistence allowances. As regards the latter, we have increased the rates by 33? per cent., with effect as from April 1st, 1943, and, as regards the former, the age limit of 23 has been abolished and the rate of marriage allowance payable to a soldier's wife has been increased by 1/- a day, at an annual cost to the State of about £185,000. Arrangements have also been made to pay, subject to certain conditions, the normal allowance, payable to a soldier's wife, to the guardian of the children of a widower soldier. The numbers involved are not large, but the benefits accruing will be material. Finally, under the heading of improved conditions, mention should be made of the activities of the Army Welfare Association. Army clubs now operate in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Kilkenny, and further clubs are contemplated in Clonmel and Mullingar as soon as suitable accommodation can be secured. The value to the soldier of such clubs is shown by the fact that they serve about 36,000 meals a month and that the average number of beds occupied nightly is 64.
Turning from the Army itself to its auxiliary forces, I may first mention the Construction Corps. The strength of this corps reached its peak last November, but since then many of the boys have become time-expired and have taken their discharge, and the inflow of recruits has not completely offset the wastage. It is now proposed to organise the corps on the basis of two depôts—one near Dublin and the other in the south, so that boys may be within a reasonable distance of their homes. Special attention is being devoted to the education and vocational training of the boys. An educational instructor has been appointed to each battalion and every recruit is being given a short course in ordinary educational subjects. If any of them be illiterate, they are placed in a special class and are not sent out on working parties until they are able to read and write. Vocational training is being given to the boys in Fermoy, Droichead Nua, in Army workshops and in specialised Army corps, and if after a probationary period in the latter they are considered suitable, they are discharged from the Construction Corps and re-enlisted in the corps in which they have been found suitable. The health of the corps is excellent and their general discipline has much improved. In addition to carrying out various works for the Army, the corps has during the past year been engaged on four major schemes for other bodies. One of these is the development scheme at Tramore for the Irish Tourist Board—a work of very great local importance; the second and third are turf cutting and drainage at Nadd and Lullymore; and the fourth is at Arigna, where 200 members of the corps have been engaged in road making to facilitate the production of coal from the local mines.
The record of the L.D.F. has, I am pleased to report, been one of steady progress during the year which has elapsed. The strength of the force reached its peak during last summer, but it has since somewhat declined owing, in a very large measure, to the discharge of non-effective members. By "non-effective" is meant members who had no reasonable excuse for not attending parades and who, therefore, showed that they had lost interest in the force and were consequently unreliable. This wastage to a very large extent has been offset by a steady influx of recruits and it is considered that any decrease in the total strength of the force has been amply compensated by an increase in its efficiency. Equipment has been issued to the force according as it has become available, and I am glad to say that all effective members have now been issued with uniforms.
Last year I mentioned that proposals were on foot for a more intensive training of all L.D.F. officers and for all those connected with the force. To that end, courses in battle drill were held at the Military College for all military officers holding L.D.F. appointments, and at the same centre courses were also given on methods of training, battle drill, field craft, tactics and field fortifications, to district leaders, assistant leaders and training officers of the force. The same ground was covered at each of the four commands for subordinate leaders. It is felt that much valuable progress has been achieved by these various courses. A higher standard of efficiency has been obtained, uniform methods of training have been inculcated, and L.D.F. leaders have been rendered more capable of handling their men, thus leaving the regular Army instructors free to perform their proper function of supervising rather than of carrying out instruction. In addition to these special courses for selected personnel, the normal unit training by way of nightly drills, week-end camps, seven-day camps and Sunday field exercises, has been continued throughout the year with satisfactory progress, and the enthusiasm and thoroughness of the force merit the highest praise.
As regards the A.R.P. service, I regret having to repeat what I said last year, that the strength of the service is much below its required establishments, and that many gaps exist in the ranks of many of its component services. Despite this fact, however, it can be said that in all special areas, and in many of the county areas, there exists the framework of a sound organisation capable of absorbing all the recruits who may be forthcoming. During the year all the principal essential undertakers submitted A.R.P. schemes and these have been examined and approved. The schemes are regarded as satisfactory although, in many instances, owing to shortage of supplies, all the necessary equipment and reserve stocks have not been purchased.
During the present month there came into force the Emergency Powers (Fire Prevention) Order, which requires every occupier of a business premises in any of the scheduled areas to submit a fire prevention scheme. Much preliminary work has already been carried out by local authorities and block committees and, if the necessary equipment be forthcoming, it is anticipated that the organisation should proceed smoothly and satisfactorily.
As regards the reception of children in connection with the evacuation scheme for Dublin, the work of adapting the 11 large houses which had been taken over has been completed, and maintenance work on water supply and cooking facilities at the assembly centres in Dublin was carried out. The stores in the various evacuation centres were inspected during the year and the reports in most cases were satisfactory.
During the year exercises for the various A.R.P. services were carried out in all the special areas with generally satisfactory results. A most satisfactory feature of these exercises was the close co-operation observed between wardens and the L.S.F. Last July, a course in the most up-to-date methods of decontamination was attended by officers responsible for this service in the special and county areas. In all county borough and scheduled areas the system for the control and direction of A.R.P. service has been frequently tested with satisfactory results.
Once again, for reasons of policy, the Estimate is presented in bulk wthout any disclosure of details. That does not mean that the Estimate is mere guesswork. Every one of the exceedingly large number of items which compose the total has been calculated with meticulous care and the detailed Estimate on which the total has been framed has been submitted to the Department of Finance and has been the subject of consideration by the Defence Conference. The amount asked (£8,620,467), covering an establishment of not more than 250,000 men for all services, is undoubtedly a very large portion of our annual revenue, but it is the surest form of insurance for the integrity and safety of the State. The House may rest assured that the utmost vigilance and economy is exercised over every item of expenditure and that, within the Department itself and under the control of the Department of Finance, the expenditure will be rigidly accounted for within the normal sub-heads of the Army Vote.
