I do not ask this question for any political reasons. Is it not correct that it is a cause for concern that quite a substantial number of our troops are not re-enlisting at the end of their term? Has the Minister given any consideration to the causes for this? Has he given any consideration to an improvement in their conditions to encourage them to re-enlist?

I have.

The Minister may reply but it is a separate question.

Perhaps this is the same thing to which Deputy Creed is referring. I am sure the Deputy will accept that the recruitment is higher generally when there is not much civilian employment and it is lower when there is plenty of civilian employment available.

There will be a big difference now.

As Deputy L'Estrange knows, there was a large influx into the Army around 1975 and 1976 mainly because the economic situation was so bad——

Not as bad as it is now.

——and jobs were very difficult to come by. It was quite different in 1978 and 1979 when jobs were relatively easy to come by. I did not want to go into that detail but I have now done so.

I am sorry the Minister has raised this political red herring and in so doing did not reply to my question. I am talking about the re-enlistment of troops at the end of their term, not the recruitment.

These are separate questions.

Could I ask the Minister—

I have ruled that the question is not in order.

Has the Minister given consideration to improving the conditions in the Defence Forces?

This erodes the reason for which a reply is given in the form of a tabular statement.

There are three questions on the Order Paper dealing with this issue.

The three are taken together and there is a tabular statement being circulated.

I have answered the questions very fully.

The Minister has not dealt with the question I asked about improving the conditions in the Defence Forces.

Very considerable improvements have been made in the conditions since this Government came into office.