Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the 1970s, when I was serving, we were not especially well paid. I recall the time Tiede Herrema was kidnapped. We were out searching the highways and byways, and while our colleague gardaí sat in restaurants and had their lunch, we had soggy sandwiches and cold tea. Morale was not a problem then; we loved what we did. We served the State with pride. What has gone wrong? It is over the past ten, maybe 20, years that it has gone so wrong. Soldiers never joined the Defence Forces for money. They joined them because they wanted to serve in uniform. I cannot understand how we have got to a point where our Naval Service is at failing point, our Air Corps is at failing point and our Army is falling apart. I cannot understand how it has got this far or how people do not understand that reducing numbers will increase the number of duties a soldier, a sailor or an airman will have to do. They come around more frequently. It is certainly not a family-friendly environment now.

We talk about pay for entrants. The Tánaiste has just spoken about the well-paid soldier and the well-paid junior officer. When there is a severe weather warning-----