asked the Minister for Defence whether he will ensure that more stringent enquiries are carried out by his Department to ascertain the age of prospective recruits to the Defence Forces.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ages of Defence Forces Recruits.
67.
I am not satisfied that more stringent enquiries than those at present made to ascertain the ages of prospective recruits to the Defence Forces are necessary.
Would the Minister agree that there are some very young "seventeens" going into the Army?
Seventeen year olds may go in, with the permission of their parents.
There are some very young ones.
68.
asked the Minister for Defence whether he will provide for the acceptance of married men as recruits to the Army if they are within the prescribed age limits of eighteen and twenty-eight years.
Under Defence Force Regulations, a married man between the ages of 17 and 38 years is eligible for enlistment in the Permanent Defence Force provided that he had previous service in the Permanent Defence Force and on the termination of such previous service was graded Private, One Star, or Private, Class II, or higher. I do not propose, at present, to extend this provision.