Mr. Bill Smith:

One or two organisations include a cadet corps, including the Order of Malta and, perhaps, the Irish Red Cross. The Civil Defence has never had a cadet corps per se. The matter has never been considered within the organisation as a serious proposition. It is not an issue which we have considered of late because, as I said, we are over-subscribed in terms of volunteers. During the good economic times, many transition year students got involved in Civil Defence to gain experience and a certificate and so on. Unfortunately, they leave Civil Defence when they go to college in various parts of the country. A Civil Defence officer must focus on retaining a core strength in the force. As such, there are a mix of young and old people involved.