The Minister has intimated that it is necessary in the near future to embark upon a recruiting drive. Happily, changes have taken place in this House in regard to what the target should be for the numbers to be recruited to the Army. When I came into this House seven years ago, I remember there was very strong feeling and it was intimated that the previous Government, the Government now in office, were too pessimistic in relation to the numbers which should be engaged in full-time membership of the Defence Forces. It was advanced at that time that their policy was in some way inimical to the interests of the Defence Forces, that they were concentrating overmuch on our Second Line of Reserve.
Happily, we now have more realism in relation to the number, that are adequate to our requirements, and it seems to be pretty well agreed that what we require is a competent and trained cadre of officers and N.C.O.s with just the requisite number of men to man the military institutions we have. In fact, it has been said by, I think, Deputy Booth, among others, that a number of the institutions are surplus to our requirements. I thought that may apply to centres in country areas, but those speakers were emphatic that they were referring to the City of Dublin.
I could well imagine that the closing down of some of the barracks in Dublin would not bring in its train the social consequences that would arise from the closing down of a barracks in a rural town. Deputy Russell appeared to think there was some advantage, from the point of view of efficiency, in concentrating our Regular Army in the larger centres of population. I do not agree with that point of view. I think it desirable that we should have a diffusion of our troops and should retain the centres throughout the country. If barracks are to be closed down, they should be closed down in Dublin.
We know that in many rural towns to-day conditions are not good in relation to business and, therefore, the impact on a rural town, if spending capacity is reduced, due to the removal of a number of soldiers from it, must be borne in mind. It would be brought forcibly to the attention of the Minister when such things are mooted. It would be more advantageous to retain the centres throughout the country, because we must bear in mind the connection which it is vital to maintain between the people and the Army. It is also important to have available fully trained and full time personnel to assist in the training of, and encouragement of recruitment for, the F.C.A. In relation to the F.C.A., it may have been an oversight, but I think this is the first occasion on which a Minister has not paid tribute to the voluntary effort which these men are making and to the spare time they devote to this service.
Numerous Deputies have expressed concern at the situation relating to the general trend and present position of the F.C.A. A number of them referred to the fact that at least a better fitting uniform is desireable. It is only natural that when young lads go out on parade, they should attract attention, and they feel very self-conscious because of the type of uniform which is all too conducive of the kind of sneer which so quickly comes from the hurlers on the fence, from the fellows who are not prepared to give their time or efforts to this service. There is an obligation upon the Minister to see that the boys who are entering the F.C.A. are provided with the best facilities we can afford to give them.
I should like to say, before I pass from the Regular Army to deal more fully with the F.C.A., that we are at the moment in a transitional period. We are now losing from our Defence Forces and from the administrative side officers and men who have been in the Army since its foundation, and the respect which our Army has earned is no mean tribute to these men. Now that they are departing from the Army, it is to be hoped that the men who are becoming career officers will emulate the standard of conduct of the men who preceded them.
There was at one time a feeling that the F.C.A. was a force that could readily be officered, administered and trained by its own members. I agree it is vital that it should be officered from within its own ranks, but we had to revert to the regular N.C.O. to train F.C.A. members. There is in the Irish character that geniality and habit of mixing with one's neighbours and becoming friendly with one's neighbours. That might be all right in other countries and among other people, but, because of the character of our people, we cannot discard that friendship at the hall door and command the respect which rank must acquire, if it is properly to train young lads, particularly in rural areas. Therefore, the contribution that has been made by the regular trained N.C.O.s has been considerable in that respect. It has assisted those who are officers in the F.C.A. to overcome many difficulties.
I suggest to the Minister that he should initiate a drive through the Irish National Teachers' Organisation and Macra na Feirme to secure the best type of member for the F.C.A If the F.C.A. is taken up with any enthusiasm in colleges where these men are being trained as teachers, they will being their enthusiasm to whatever part of the country in which they work later, that enthusiasm which they imbibed in the first instance in the schools, or whatever societies in which they first became interested in the F.C.A. The need at the moment is to do something for our young people and there is within the framework of the F.C.A. an opportunity to provide physical training equipment and facilities.
The major difficulty in getting good attendances at parades is in urban centres. It is more readily available, extraordinarily enough, where men work longer hours and work harder. Where they do that, they are prepared to come to parades, under very adverse conditions of weather, bad roads and so on, to their regular training centres. The difficulty of getting good attendances is not as great in rural areas, as it is where young lads have other activities in which they can engage, where they are attracted by amusements and so forth. In rural areas, many boys who would otherwise have left the country have been held at home by the spirit of comradeship which develops in an organisation such as the F.C.A. It would do many boys all the good in the world if they entered such a force and learned the temperament and control which can be an advantage to them, even in their civilian lives, apart from any contribution that might be required from them in the defence of the country.
There is reflected in this Estimate, and it is the first Estimate to come before the House this year, a small but significant contribution which flows from the budgetary policy of the Government in withdrawing the food subsidies. It is our intention, on every Vote that comes before the House, to indicate that, because of that policy, what was supposed to be a saving is not, in fact, a saving. There is no Department of State which will not reflect in its Estimate some small amount put there to meet the impact of the withdrawal of the food subsidies.
There is one activity of the Army which, down through the years, has brought much credit to this country. That is the Army jumping team. I know that the jumping team, if it goes off or is not too successful, cannot recover overnight. However, it is gratifying to see the improvement which has taken place in the past few years.
It has been reported that some of these men who, as Irish Army Officers and as members of the jumping team, have brought great credit to this country, have suffered as a result of the niggardly expenses which are allowed to them. That is regrettable. They are only seven or eight in number, and we are not in the position of some of the great countries which can send units of their navies to visit various other countries and be received by those other countries as emissaries of the country they represent. Among the few emissaries of good will that we have in this country are the jumping team, and they should be treated as such. With the tradition we have as regards horses, the jumping team is certainly an ancillary industry. If we have in the Army a small group of competent horsemen who can go out and compete in the world's capitals and who have, in the past, brought honour and prestige to the country and to the Army, they should be properly treated and in the coming years, we ought to give the jumping team the chance and the encouragement which they require, if they are to continue to bring credit to this country.
I think it was Deputy Giles who suggested a reintroduction of the Construction Corps. That is a matter which should at least receive examination. It has often been said that there are necessary works of national reconstruction which cannot be undertaken, due to our limitations in many respects. It is possible that an organised force such as the Construction Corps could undertake such work. Perhaps the Minsiter would look into that matter and see if anything could be done in that respect.
