Gabrielle McFadden (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would appreciate it if I could speak without interruption. I would never interrupt Deputy Chambers. I know the Minister of State appreciates the Defence Forces had to make hard decisions in the past. We are now, however, reversing financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI. I have said before that the Public Service Pay Commission is not suitable for the Defence Forces, however. The nature of the job that they do, combined with the prohibition on strikes and union membership, sets the members of the Defence Forces apart, as does their passion and commitment to the State. Any decisions made about their terms and conditions should not be made in the same light as other sectors. That is why I have asked the Minister of State to consider an independent review board for the Defence Forces.

The Minister of State referred to recruitment and the working group. It might be a good idea to examine recruitment. However, a higher priority is retention. We invest much money in training recruits but then we lose them because they have to make a choice that best suits them. The Defence Forces provide a good profession. All its members are committed and passionate about what they do. They choose that profession because of their commitment and passion about the country. Its members will say that they love the job and want to stay in it. We need to give them a reason to stay.

The committee’s visit to the Curragh Camp has been referred to already where we met the General Officer Commanding, GOC, Brigadier General Dignam. He was gracious and showed us the good, the bad and the ugly. It was of benefit to many of us who had never seen it before. Many of us already knew the conditions under which soldiers are living and their commitment. These conditions are not suitable for anybody. Between six and ten new recruits can share a room with no provisions, rotten floors, mould on the walls, no proper showers along with bathrooms that could not be used. I have a son in second year in college. If I had to leave my child in those conditions, my heart would be broken. That is not good enough for any recruit who commits himself to the State. I urge the Minister of State and his officials to look at the capital expenditure for the Defence Forces. The GOC explained that they cannot get people to maintain the facilities because they cannot pay them properly like they pay in the private sector. That needs to be examined. There are other excellent facilities in the Curragh Camp that the GOC pointed out.

Will the Minister of State look at an independent review board for the Defence Forces? We should not be making politics out of the situation. We all want the best for the Defence Forces, the Minister of State included. I thank him for his time.