Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I disagree entirely with what the Deputy has to say with regard to my defending of the position of members of the Defence Forces. If the Deputy's party had continued in government, I would not have been in a position to secure an agreement from the Government that the strength of the Defence Forces should be maintained at 9,500. If I had not secured the additional funding necessary from the Government in 2012 to facilitate this, we would now be looking at the strength of the Defence Forces falling below 8,000.

It was because I secured this agreement that we were able to recruit new members to the Defence Forces during the course of last year, and I am anticipating that we will again be recruiting later this year when the number of retirements for this year becomes clear.

I am very proud of the fact the Defence Forces have, in fairness to them, implemented substantial reform. They have been ahead of the public service pack in the efficiency with which they have implemented reforms and ensured resources are used very carefully in the public interest. I want to pay public tribute to the representative bodies within the Defence Forces for engaging very constructively in the process that took place with a view to assisting in saving the €300 million that must be saved this year and agreeing change and reform that I hope and believe will have very limited financial impact on members of the Defence Forces but will ensure, overall, that the savings that have to be achieved can be made.

Of course, during the many years when the Deputy's party was in government, members of the Defence Forces consistently had to apply for supplementary welfare allowance and for additional financial help through the social welfare system for a whole range of reasons, so the Deputy should not expect anyone to believe that is a new issue. I am very grateful to the representative bodies for their constructive engagement in the interests of their members and in the context of the public duty and patriotism displayed by them.

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