Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

These are fully trained and would just need a small bit of re-induction and they are good to go.

Deputy Stanton asked about looking at broader ways of recruiting. There is a lateral transfer programme that Australia and the UK use. They generally poach some of our troops, and they have done so for the last 20 years. Some of these people have been on to me. They are Irish citizens who have been in the armies of the UK , New Zealand, or Australia, for example. Is there any lateral transfer programme to go back in the opposite direction? I raise this matter in order to hear the Tánaiste's thoughts on it. If we are happy to allow our troops to go to Australia and New Zealand and work in their military for a few years, perhaps we should be happy to have them back as well. It is just something to explore.

Reference was also made to regenerating the RDF, which is absolutely vital. I always say that there is an "s" is Defence Forces because the RDF represents that "s". It is so important from a recruitment point of view and from a human capital perspective. One of the issues around why we have so few people in the RDF was the complete collapse of the footprint. The reopening of the Cavan barracks has been raised a few times by Deputy Brendan Smith. It is a perfectly good barracks. The Defence Forces has been contracting for the last 20 years and it would be a serious lift to morale if we actually started to reopen some of the facilities, in the context of recruitment and retention.

On the EU security and defence policy, I recognise there are diverging views in the Parliament over it. I benefited a lot from PESCO. I see there is a funding allocation for it. It gets a bit of bad press. Ireland is also in the Erasmus programme ,but that does not mean we have an integrated education system. Ireland is involved in Europol as well but it does not mean we have a federal police force. Ireland is in the cross border directive too with healthcare but it does not mean we have an integrated health service, but maybe we would be better off if we did. PESCO is the same. Just because we have this arrangement where people can train properly it does not mean we have an integrated military, and there is no fear of it either. Nobody is in favour of that. I welcome that funding allocation.

I will finish with a few questions. There are two old CASA CN-235s sitting in a hangar in Shannon. They were replaced with new aircraft some years back. Do we have a plan for them?