Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

The Minister said he is aware of the report on the effects of long-term sea patrols on family life in the Naval Service, entitled A Voyage of Understanding. It is a large tome and it makes a number of conclusions, the first of which states:

Without in any way wanting to sound dramatic, the service as experienced by the surveyed membership is in crisis. This crisis is fixable given Government action only.

My question relates to the low morale in the Naval Service. A large cohort of people were surveyed in the PDFORRA study. More than 300 people were surveyed in total, including 212 serving members and 134 spouses. It is heart-rending to read some of the information on families and children and the references to breakdowns, depression and stress. These arise from what seems to be a very poorly managed service in respect of shore and sea rotation.

Everybody acknowledges that recruits join the Naval Service to go to sea. However, they are profoundly disappointed by the manner in which the system operates. It is very difficult to engage in family life, in spite of the expression of support for family life in the Constitution. The personnel feel so much could be done so easily and that management, in itself, cannot rectify the problem. Rather, it is felt that it can only be rectified directly through ministerial involvement. Can I take it from the Minister that there will be such involvement?

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