§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether it is the intention of the General Commanding the district that the recruits of the 5th Battalion of the Royal Innis-killing Fusiliers (the Donegals) shall be this year called up for preliminary training at Omagh instead of at Bally-shannon, the headquarters of the battalion; will he state whether the recruits of this regiment have on any occasion hitherto been trained at Omagh; whether separation and other allowances will be made to the members of the permanent staff brought away from their families to Omagh; whether he is aware that the recruits during training will be deprived of the use of the rifle range at Finner, Ballyshannon; and will he say whether he has received any representations from the people] of Ballyshannon on the subject.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERThe recruits of this battalion are to do their preliminary drill at Omagh. From the records of the last thirty years it does not appear that the recruits have on any previous occasion trained at Omagh. Separation and other usual allowances will be granted. Musketry, both for recruits and trained militiamen, will take place at Finner Camp. A memorial on this subject was received in the War Office two days ago from the Town Commissioners at Ballyshannon, and is being dealt with.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLWhy has this transfer of the place of training been insisted on?
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERIt is a matter within the discretion of the Field Marshal Commanding in Ireland to be decided on purely military grounds, and I am not prepared to interfere.