asked the Minister for Defence if he will state, in respect of the period 1st January, 1955, to the present date, the number of recruits who (a) made application to join the Army, (b) were accepted, (c) were rejected because of the lack of physical fitness, and (d) were rejected on educational grounds.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Army Recruiting.
The number of persons who applied for enlistment in the permanent Defence Force during the period 1st January, 1955, to 18th February, 1956, was 2,868. Of this number, 1,520 were accepted for service and 417 were rejected as being below the prescribed physical standards. Prospective recruits are not subjected to an educational test as such prior to enlistment, but 52 of the applicants were rejected because they did not appear to reach the necessary standard of intelligence.