asked the Minister for Defence why soldiers were ordered to dye their Army footwear and other equipment black at their own expense; and if he will now take steps to refund to each soldier the cost of so dyeing his footwear and equipment.

Soldiers were instructed to blacken the boots, leggings and belts on issue to them on 1 Meitheamh, 1964, because further issues of these items for na Buan-Óglaigh as from that date would be in black. The instruction issued specified that black boot polish would be used, not dye. The second part of the question does not, therefore, arise.

They would not want to go out in the grass with them in that case.

Would the Minister say if the Department supplied adequate black boot polish?

The men supplied their own.

Just as a matter of interest, how many tins of black polish does the Minister expect would be required to blacken one pair of brown boots?

That does not arise out of the question.

It most certainly does.

The Minister has put——

The number of boxes of boot polish does not arise in this question.

I am anxious to ascertain——

The Deputy may not ask a supplementary question that does not arise.

I shall put it this way: did the Minister or his Department estimate the cost of changing one pair of brown boots to black, and a belt and other equipment to black, and, if so, would he state what the cost is and who was responsible for it?

Tá faitíos orm nach bhfuil bagairt tuiscine ar an Teachta.

How many tins did the Deputy use to blacken his colleagues in Dáil Éireann?

I hold a mirror up to the Tánaiste and he sees his own image there with all its blackness.