Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

A number of my questions were not replied to in the first round, one of which concerned what the Minister of State might have considered to be a flippant comment, although it was not. It concerned the difference between a formal meeting and informal meeting of Defence Ministers. At an informal meeting does the Minister of State or his officials get to talk with other Ministers about challenges? I listed the challenges, but the Minister of State does not have to answer about specific ones. At a formal meeting are there opportunities to discuss matters with other military forces that have gone through some of the challenges facing the Defence Forces, some of which I have listed? Does the Minister of State manage to do this because sometimes when mistakes are dealt with or overcome by others and expertise is shared, it can help us?

One of my questions concerned military personnel mobility. The Minister of State might have answered it. The European Union Military Committee has prepared a military requirements document. I asked whether we would see it prior to the discussion in November. Two questions of mine emerged from the publicity that followed on foot of the conference of the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association, PDFORRA which I know the Minister of State attended. Some newspapers carried stories based on testimony given by people who had spoken at the conference. One concerned bomb disposal expert teams going back on duty after a 24-hour shift. Will the Minister of State confirm if that is the practice because it seems to be a change from what happened previously? From the outside, it seems to be very dangerous for bomb disposal experts to work a 24-hour shift. An article that was very concerning referred to a psychiatrist who had left a job within the Defence Forces having flagged that they were leaving. We talked about the great job being done in the Mediterranean, but, in some cases, what Defence Forces personnel see on duty there or elsewhere can have a severe effect on them. What happens if psychiatrists are not available to make these assessments? Is there a temporary contract with the private sector or the HSE to plug the gap until somebody is employed full time?