Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State quoted recruitment figures. He gave a figure of almost 8,000 in 2017, almost 5,000 in 2016 and so on. We must get away from quoting the numbers who express an interest. Clearly, the Defence Forces have told the Minister of State that the level of resilience is below 10%. I think it is 9% at present. Of those who apply, less than 50% actually get through the first stage - psychometric testing. That is not the Minister of State's fault, but we must be more honest about it because it is a problem he has openly acknowledged today. Is he is seriously worried about the problems in all three forces? Why are people applying for entry to the Defence Forces and, when they get the letter asking them to sign into a website for psychometric testing, they do not bother? Are they trying to fool the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection? Is this an issue at which we need to look?

In the last session I asked the Minister of State about the issue of command and control. I told him some time ago about three near misses with .5 heavy machine guns when lives could have been lost.

We had a barrel for a heavy machine gun knocked overboard on a naval ship again. In terms of command and control, it cannot be expected that a second lieutenant coming out of the Curragh will take responsibility for three or four platoons. I have met soldiers who have said to me that they question how they can get a bad recommendation from an officer in command when he or she might only be there for three months before suddenly moving somewhere else. Whatever happened to the point where a platoon had a platoon commander, a company had a company commander and a second-in-command, 2IC, a battalion had a battalion commander, a 2IC and an adjutant and we all knew where we were in the organisation? What has happened to that? There are currently five officers out of 25 in Athlone, and three captains in the 27th Infantry Battalion and one lieutenant. This country will be sued at some stage, either for an accident or for somebody being denied promotion or overseas service because he or she did not get a favourable report. Maybe the military authorities are not telling the Minister of State the truth about where these issues stand. The "can do" ethos of soldiers is one that is now working to their detriment. They will do any job they are given but we are scraping the bottom of the barrel now. Is the Minister of State being told the truth about command and control?