asked the Minister for Defence whether, in view of the great necessity for saving the harvest this year, and the scarcity of labour, he will give favourable consideration to employment of volunteers from the Army to assist in saving and threshing where suitable local labour is not available.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment of Soldiers at Harvesting.
asked the Minister for Defence if he will arrange that an adequate number of selected soldiers, under an officer, may be camped during the harvest in areas where there is a shortage of agricultural labourers; and if he is aware that it is the considered opinion of farmers in the intensely-tilled districts that if this is not done the "Grow More Food" campaign will be seriously jeopardised owing to a shortage of workers to save the crops.
I propose to take questions Nos. 29 and 30 together. I am prepared to give favourable consideration to the employment of soldiers to assist in saving the harvest, provided: (1) That the soldier engages in the work during his off-duty hours only; (2) that he is not depriving a civilian of work and that he, the soldier, voluntarily agrees to undertake the work, and (3) that the soldier returns to his unit at the expiration of his off-duty hours.
The employment of soldiers to assist in threshing operations cannot, however, be authorised.
As the Deputies are, no doubt, aware, arrangements have been in existence since March, 1941, whereby men enlisted for the duration of the present emergency and reservists on permanent service may be granted two months' leave each year for agricultural work, and are issued with free return travelling vouchers to their home addresses or places of employment. All applications from soldiers for such leave have been and will be favourably considered, subject, of course, to military exigencies.
The Minister's reply is reasonable and acceptable, so far as the first two conditions are concerned. The third condition, that the soldier returns to his unit at the expiration of his off-duty hours, is the condition which is impossible. Usually the soldiers are in charge of a corporal or sergeant, and they leave the farm in the charge of the corporal or sergeant. I think that ought to satisfy the Minister and that he should not hold the person for whom they work responsible for seeing that they return to barracks.
Would the Minister be prepared to release soldiers temporarily for employment with farmers who require agricultural labour and cannot find it locally? Would it be possible for an individual who wishes to leave the Army to help a former employer to be released temporarily?
No; we have gone as far as possible in that direction by granting one month's leave in the spring and one month's leave in the harvest. It would be quite impossible to adopt the Deputy's suggestion. In reply to Deputy Broderick, numbers of men are already working under the conditions I have mentioned, but, because manoeuvres and other military exercises take place about the same time as the harvest, it would not be possible to do any more than we have done.
The men leave the scene of their operations in charge of their superior officer. How is the man for whom they have worked to be held responsible for their return to their units in those circumstances?
These are the only conditions on which we can agree to let them out.