I was dealing with the question of civil defence and I had expressed my appreciation of the manner in which Deputies had approached that problem. If we can accept the general sense of urgency with regard to this matter and the general appreciation of the importance of civil defence evidenced in the speeches of Deputies as an indication of the results of the recent efforts of my Department to arouse interest in the subject, we can take it that those efforts have been very successful. I hope that the same interest has been aroused amongst local representatives generally and that it will be translated down to the people throughout the country because it is one of the greatest difficulties to get the ordinary people to appreciate the importance of civil defence.
Deputy Vivion de Valera dealt with many of the organisational aspects of civil defence and I can assure him that all the points he raised have already been incorporated in the basic studies of this problem in the civil defence section of the Department of Defence. The question of getting the required technical assistance for civil defence is being worked out in my Department, and it will be possible to secure much of this through the help of technical officers who are already in the public service, both central and local, but where it appears to be necessary steps will be taken to try to secure the assistance of experts outside the public service. I would appreciate the assistance of Deputies generally in bringing home the importance of this subject to the people generally.
I think I should refer to the criticism by Deputy O.J. Flanagan of the size of the Estimate for the Department of Defence. I cannot agree with him that it is a huge amount, or a huge proportion of our overall expenditure. In fact, I should say that most countries of our size, or smaller, are spending a greater amount on defence than we are. Deputy O.J. Flanagan suggested that the Army was of little or no value to the taxpayer, and seemed to throw doubts as to whether there is justification for our having a defence force here or not. As far as the Government are concerned, we believe that if we do not show our determination to defend the country to the best of our ability—if we do not make reasonable provision for that and if instead we leave what amounts to a military vacuum here—others obviously will come in and do that for us. No country that values its independence would take that attitude.
I am aware that there are people who would like to see the British Army back here and I think it is time for people like Deputy O.J. Flanagan who talk like that, to say definitely if that is what they desire to have here or not. It is also time for his Party to set out their position with regard to that, to set it out definitely, and state whether or not they back him in that viewpoint.
I did promise Deputy O'Donnell on the last occasion that I would deal with a point he raised with regard to the reorganising of the Officers Training Corps of the Universities. The position about that is that it is not proposed to reorganise the Officers Training Corps. There does not appear to be any need for it now. Our requirements as regards officers are adequately met by the intake of cadets, and the reorganisation of that Corps would not fit in with the new organisation. There is, of course, a unit of An Forsa Cosanta Aitiúil, Cathláin an Phiarsaigh, which caters for University students, and that would appear to be sufficient in that respect at the moment. Therefore, I am afraid, I cannot hold out any hope of the reorganisation of the O.T.C. I think I have dealt with most of the points raised, but if there are any other points that require consideration, I shall consider them during the year.