Mr. Mark Keane:

We have been reasonable and responsible in our interactions with the Department on this over many weeks and months. It is not just about our concerns but those of our members. We have also heard the concerns of our colleagues in ICTU regarding where this stops. In addition, we are confined by Defence Force Regulations, DFR, S.6. We have never strayed outside of that in more than 34 years. We are at a loss as to why this Bill is being brought in now. The word "draconian" comes to mind. It is eroding what little rights we have, when it comes to representation. If it were to be brought in, the conference would be akin to a silent disco. We could not talk to each other. We could not stand up to propose motions. PDFORRA functions as a democracy. We serve and protect this democracy. We have done nothing but stand by it, but now our rights are being eroded as citizens in uniform. We are at a loss as to why.

PDFORRA, RACO and the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association, RDFRA, have raised the issue of the oversight body with the Minister, the Department and the Secretary General. We have spoken off-field and inside on it, and at every opportunity we ever got to raise it. To answer the Senator's question, it seems the Minister wants somebody there who can report back to him, as with previous committees. I do not have experience in how government works, but that is what is being said to us. Unfortunately, the independent review group, IRG, was based on and came out of something called trust, and the lack of trust. Is the Government now saying that as representative associations we have no place in this? We represent more than 9,500 people. They feed into us. We are the people paid to represent them. We are the volunteers who go out to work for them. We are the citizens in uniform, as Mr. Jacob said, but the Government still wants to take away the most basic and fundamental rights we have because we might criticise something. We have never strayed outside DFR S.6. I cannot think of one example in 34 years where either we, RACO or RDFRA have been brought in by the Minister and told to cease and desist what we have done. To be honest, we are at a loss.

As the Senator said, if it is not broken, why fix it? Maybe that is something the committee should ask the Tánaiste and the Department.