Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is important to bear in mind the historical context here. The individuals concerned started off on a five-year contract and a great deal of flexibility has been shown in accommodating and extending their careers within the Defence Forces. I expect that some flexibility will also be shown in this instance. I want to see an arbitration process and an independent third party adjudicating to make decisions which take everything into account rather than the pure political considerations. I accept that some of the families concerned are facing very real difficulties. However, my primary responsibility is to ensuring the overall coherence and effectiveness of the Defence Forces in terms of policy around age and health profiles and the fitness of personnel, individually and collectively, for the difficult work they must do. Of course, if some of the individuals concerned have a skillset which adds to that and should be accommodated through flexibilities, then I expect the third-party arbitrator will point to that. We must await the outcome of that process rather than making a political decision.

See this speech in context