Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I accept the comments made by the Deputy. I know that the Chairman and all of the members of this committee greatly appreciate the work that has been done by Major General Beary.

A question was asked about how many members of the Irish Defence Forces served in Afghanistan. I understand that there were seven members and only one of them came from the Army Ranger Wing. That is a situation similar to other units. Members of the Air Corps and the Naval Service serve in Lebanon with UNIFIL or UNDOF. All members of the Defence Forces deserve the opportunity to serve overseas. The issues that the personnel who served in Afghanistan dealt with were counterfeit identifications, IDs, landmines, etc. Some administrative and staff members were also located in the headquarters.

In terms of recruitment, we have given a budget to the military to recruit 9,500 personnel. I accept that there are gaps in the service and there are challenges. I regularly hold recruitment meetings with the Deputy Chief of Staff, Major General Kevin Cotter, and his staff.

In terms of any mission that the Defence Forces participate in, my number one commitment is to ensure that the Government fulfils of the issues that are sought by the Defence Forces. Whether it is battle groups, UNIFIL, UNDOF or whatever, the number one issue for me is that I am advised by the Deputy Chief of Staff that we are still able to participate and respond to all requests made by the Government and contained in the White Paper on defence.

Deputy Grealish asked what factors are considered when deciding to participate in missions. There are a range of different missions. I can never say that we have an absolute watertight mission where no one will be injured. There is always a risk to life when participating in a mission, and that even applies to missions at home such as personnel working in bad weather conditions during Storm Ophelia or the recent snowstorms.

In terms of personnel participating in overseas missions, my number one priority is not to put people in harm's way, and I rely on the military for advice on safety. However, one must take risks. There has been loss of life with UNIFIL or in the Congo during the 60 years that the Irish Defence Forces have proudly participated in UN peacekeeping missions.

There is no provision for members of the RDF to participate in overseas missions. I have given a full explanation to the Public Service Pay Commission on where we are with submissions. A military and civilian team is working on the matter. I am not sure whether Deputy Grealish was present when I addressed that Deputy McLoughlin asked about the Public Service Pay Commission.