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

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach agus cosúil leis na daoine eile, fáiltím roimh an triúr de na haíonna agus go háirithe mar gur deis mhaith é seo ceisteanna a chur orthu faoi gur ghlac siad an cuireadh teacht os ár gcomhair agus mo gabhaim buíochas libh as sin. Tá sé ceart go bhfuil guth na bhFórsaí Cosanta le cloisteáil anseo seachas go dtí seo gur trí prism nó filter an Aire nó na Roinne a tharla sé sin roimhe seo.

The Defence Forces are facing major challenges, and I have raised some here and I have been very critical on some issues and hopefully it is never taken as a personal issue because, like everybody else here, I have the health and safety of officers and the best interests of the men and women of the Defence Forces in mind.

In general, a number of issues seem to have happened in the recent past which suggest that morale is down, people are being overstretched and mistakes are happening. Is it just because of the failure to reach the complement of 9,500? Is it pay and conditions, that members feel that they are not appreciated in terms of pay? For instance, one of the big criticisms of the paper in September was to do with Defence Forces members in the Phoenix Park being on duty for 24 or 48 hours, and members of An Garda Síochána the same, but a total difference between them.

The Chief of Staff is right to say it is not an ordinary organisation and when people sign up they have some understanding of what they are signing up for, but, in doing so, an organisation and its members have to be appreciated and compensated somewhat. Does he believe that the other parts of the public service, and the public in general, understand fully the differences and how much the members of the Defence Forces rely on allowances to fill the gap in terms of pay and conditions?

We recently had a respect and loyalty march in the city. It was not a strike because members of the Defence Forces were not on strike, but it was those who were supportive and sympathetic and who felt that their concerns, which I have raised through their representative organisations internally, and through parliamentary questions and so on, were not being listened to. There is a whole list of issues that I know the Defence Forces probably have. Most of them were to do with pay and conditions. I understand the pay issue, as the Chief of Staff said at the outset, is being dealt with. Others can be dealt with, and the working time directive was mentioned, and hopefully the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, RACO, conference at the end of the month will look at that. They are bringing in some experts that will add to the Defence Forces' understanding or planning in that relationship.

There are other issues, for instance, moving the upper service limit of 21 years and the age at which somebody can join the Defence Forces. For instance, there are people of an age who have the fitness and wherewithal to join the Defence Forces and who can join other defence forces. A woman I dealt with, who was a top athlete, could not join the Irish Defence Forces because she was three or six months too old - I cannot remember exactly - but she could have joined the British defence forces. That is something small that can be tweaked. Society has changed. We are living longer, we are fitter and more capable in later years of doing work that would not have been expected of us in the past in military circles. The upper age limit and retirement age limit are issues. Is that reflected in the conversations the Chief of Staff would have, for instance, with his members?

I have been very critical about health and safety, and I know major changes have been made in the past number of years. Dr. Mellett has probably been plagued with quite a number of questions about the chemical exposure over the years of men and women - men in particular, but men and women - in the Air Corps. A lot has been done and praise should be given for the movement that has eventually been made towards a proper regime. What can be done for those who have major health problems which they relate to their times in the Defence Forces? It is not just to do with Baldonnel Aerodrome. I have also raised it in terms of those who suspect that their major health complications are related to the likes of Lariam in particular.

Have the Defence Forces looked at how other countries' defence forces have dealt with very similar problems? Have the Defence Forces been liaising with the Department of Health on whether members can be given additional supports after they leave the Defence Forces to help them identify what is wrong with them and to address the identified problems? I will leave it at that and come back if need be.