Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge that our colleague, Deputy Stanton, has indicated he will not seek re-election after almost 40 years. I wish him well.

I welcome the Secretary General, the Chief of Staff and their colleagues and I thank them for coming before us. I thank them also for their presentations and for answering the questions so far. I will be brief because there is no point in my going over areas that have been covered already. How much of a negative influence on recruitment and retention does the Chief of Staff think the new pensions arrangements in the Army are having? As we all know, one of the attractions for young men and women joining the Army or the Defence Forces has been that they could leave, if they so wished, with a full pension. That is no longer the case.

I agree with my colleagues, in particular, Senator Joe O’Reilly, on recruitment. It is important that we bring to the attention of our young men and women in secondary school the fact that recruitment is open and is rotating on a 12-monthly basis. In a former life, I was involved with the Youthreach training programme in Cavan. As part of that programme and its summer activities, we formulated, with the local Army barracks, a specific programme designed for a week where young people would sample different areas of Army life. That was very successful. Unfortunately, it can no longer take place because Dún Uí Neill, the only purpose-built Army barracks in the history of the State, was closed. The Youthreach programme in which I was involved was very successful and a number of young people later joined the Army as a result of that introduction. Perhaps the committee, in conjunction with the Department and the Defence Forces, could look at introducing a module on the Defence Forces and policing in transition year. That would make young people aware of the fact that there is a worthwhile career to be had in the Defence Forces and, by extension, An Garda Síochána. I ask for the witnesses’ views on that.

To return to Dún Uí Neill Barracks and the issue of training young recruits, I believe the training module for recruits should include a Border familiarisation programme. An ideal location in which to hold that would be Dún Uí Neill Barracks. It should be reopened as is ideally located on the Border and is modern. I note it is no longer in the ownership of the Department of Defence but it is in the ownership of the local education and training board. There would not be a huge difficulty in dealing with that if there was a will to do so.

On 15 September, I had the privilege of being in Custume Barracks in Athlone, where the personnel who are soon to be deployed to the Golan Heights had their ministerial review. The Chief of Staff was also there and I think the Secretary General may have been there too. Deputy Berry was present, as were others. While the weather was very bad that day, the hundreds of people who attended the ministerial review very much enjoyed it. It was a proud day for the personnel involved, their families, the Chief of Staff and his colleagues. It was a credit to everybody involved. This goes back to something I mentioned the last time the witnesses were before the committee. Ministerial reviews or similar types of military parades should be rotated around the country, particularly to areas where there are no Army barracks. They put on view the pride that is within the Defence Forces. The impact that could have on young people looking on could be very positive.