Mr. Martin Ryan:

It goes back to the Chair's reference to the working time directive and the views that the Department of Defence is having difficulty with another Department, that the retirement age is the responsibility of another Department and that pay and allowances are the responsibility of another Department. I struggle to accept that. It is almost passing the buck to say we are doing our best but that other Departments have ultimate responsibility. It is not really for me to answer on Deputy Berry's point but if other Departments are having more success, it is probably a fair assessment. The patrol duty allowance is the obvious issue. It has been spoken about for the past several years. We have watched the Naval Service being further decimated through retirements and the tying up of ships, yet there has not been a sufficient level of urgency in addressing the issue as a stand-alone one.