§ 21. Mr. P. MEEHANasked whether Irish labourers and skilled workers who are brought to England to work in various occupations through the instrumentality of the Irish Labour Exchanges come within the provisions of the Military Service Act; and whether directions have been or will be given to the tribunals to exempt such men from military service if they are brought before the tribunals by the military authorities?
§ Mr. FORSTERBritish subjects not ordinarily resident in Great Britain or who are only resident in Great Britain for a special purpose are excepted from the provisions of the Military Service Acts. Instructions were given some time ago to recruiting officers that if a man claims that he is ordinarily resident in Ireland and only comes to Great Britain for some seasonal occupation and returns ordinarily to Ireland as his permanent home, he should not be called up if he produces papers or other satisfactory evidence-corroborating his statements. Arrangements are now being made between the War Office and the Board of Trade whereby workmen who are placed through the Employment Exchanges on certain special classes of work, such as dock transport work, munition work, or on contracts with a Government Department are to be furnished with a certificate showing that they are resident in Great Britain for a special purpose, so long as they remain in employments of the nature specified in which they have been placed by the Exchanges. A further announcement on this subject will shortly be made, but meantime Irishmen who are ordinarily resident in Ireland and who have come to Great Britain and are engaged on dock transport work, munition work, or upon contracts with a Government Department are, under the existing instructions, treated by recruiting officers as being resident in Great Britain for a special purpose if. having regard to the nature of their employment, they would be reasonably entitled to claim exemption from military service.
§ Sir E. CARSONIs it the policy of the Government to encourage men of military age in Ireland to come over and take the jobs of men in England who have enlisted in the Army?
§ Mr. FORSTERNo, Sir; that is not the policy.
§ Mr. BYRNEIs the hon. Member aware that on the outbreak of war the trade unions here applied to the trade unions in Ireland to send over men to carry out war work? They have been here now two years, or eighteen months, and the latest Military Service Act contains the words "seasonal occupation." Will he explain the meaning of the words "seasonal occupation" as applied to trade unionists?
§ Mr. FORSTERI think the answer I have just given covers the whole field of the question. The question is whether a man is or is not ordinarily resident in Ireland.
§ Colonel YATEIs there any reason why an Irishman in England should not serve as well as a Welshman?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe reason is to be found in the terms of the Military Service Act.