Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1979

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Number 28 of 1979

DEFENCE (AMENDMENT) (No. 2) ACT, 1979

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Number 28 of 1979

DEFENCE (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) ACT, 1979

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ENLISTMENT OF WOMEN INTO THE DEFENCE FORCES AND TO PROVIDE FOR MATTERS CONNECTED THEREWITH. [6th November, 1979]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:

Interpretation.

1.—In this Act “the Principal Act” means the Defence Act, 1954 .

Application of Defence Acts, 1954 to 1979, to women.

2.—The provisions of the Defence Acts, 1954 to 1979, and of any statutory instruments made thereunder shall apply to women members of the Defence Forces holding commissioned or non-commissioned rank and accordingly all words in those Acts and those instruments importing a reference to persons of the male sex shall be construed as importing a reference to persons of either sex.

Application of section 41 of Principal Act to women.

3.—A woman shall be eligible to be appointed to be an officer of the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force and for that purpose references in section 41 of the Principal Act to Irish citizens shall be construed as including Irish citizens of either sex and references to any other persons specially approved by the Minister shall be construed as including persons of either sex.

Application of sections 53, 54 and 55 of Principal Act to women.

4.—A woman may—

(a) be enlisted in the Permanent Defence Force for service for a fixed period either in the Permanent Defence Force or partly in the Permanent Defence Force and partly in the Reserve Defence Force,

(b) be enlisted in the Permanent Defence Force for service for a period of emergency, or

(c) be directly enlisted in the Reserve Defence Force for service for a fixed period,

and for that purpose references in sections 53, 54 and 55 of the Principal Act to persons shall be construed as including persons of either sex and references in sections 53 (1) (b) and 55 (1) (b) of that Act to a boy shall be construed as including references to a girl.

Application of section 99 of Principal Act to women.

5.—The provisions of section 99 of the Principal Act shall apply in the case of a woman who holds a non-commissioned rank and for that purpose references in that section to a wife shall be construed as references to a husband.

Amendment of Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Schedules to Principal Act.

6.—The Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Schedules to the Principal Act are hereby amended by—

(a) the substitution for “MEN ENLISTING” of “PERSONS ENLISTING”; and

(b) the substitution in Part I of the said Schedules for “fhear” everywhere that word appears of “chomhalta”; and

(c) the substitution in Part II of the said Schedules for “man” everywhere that word appears of “member”.

Amendment of section 6 of Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1960.

7.— Section 6 (1) of the Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1960 , is hereby amended by—

(a) the insertion in paragraph (b) after “wife” of “, husband”, and

(b) the insertion in paragraph (c) after “child” of “to a member of or”.

Short title, construction, collective citation and commencement.

8.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1979.

(2) The Defence Acts, 1954 to 1979, and this Act shall be construed together.

(3) The collective citation “the Defence Acts, 1954 to 1979,” shall include this Act.

(4) This Act shall come into operation on such day as may be fixed by order made by the Minister.