David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief because I know it is getting late. I am searching for the recruitment budget, which is important. I see funding for advertising is mentioned under miscellaneous expenditure, with a figure of €450,000. Does that cover recruitment or is recruitment provided for elsewhere? I refer to the figure of €450,000 under A22, relating to miscellaneous expenditure and advertising. That is all I can find that might relate to recruitment. As recruitment and retention is such a significant issue, I ask the Minister to let us know what is being expended in that regard and how it is being expended.

On the issue of recruitment, I refer to the cost of the aptitude tests recruits have to undertake. I also understand quite a number of people fall at that hurdle, which gives me pause for thought as to whether they are appropriate in the first place.

Subhead A25 relates to the Irish Red Cross and the funding it receives. I assume that if the Red Cross is expanding its role now as it is being called on to do far more in the context of the Ukraine crisis and so forth, it will be getting funding from other Departments to give it the wherewithal to do that work. Could it rely on the undoubted experience and abilities of the Defence Forces with regard to logistics and so on? A significant number of people are coming into Ireland in a very short period. The Chairman and I know from our previous jobs the challenges of dealing with people coming in who may have trauma, language skill issues, accommodation needs, health issues and so on. I put it to the Minister that the Defence Forces have a significant amount to offer there in terms of logistics.

Those are my questions for the Minister. I have to leave the meeting soon because I am half an hour late for another meeting.