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

I would expect that. In my time as Minister for Defence I have been hugely impressed by our Defence Force personnel, at home and abroad, in southern Lebanon, Golan, Collins Barracks in Cork and other barracks throughout the country.

The fitness levels and benchmarks we have set and achieved for the Defence Forces mean that we have fitter, better-trained stronger Defence Forces personnel than we have ever had, which is as it should be.

I have deliberately stayed out of this debate because we do not need to make political decisions here. We need to make decisions that are fair to the individuals involved and that are right for the Defence Forces. I want a process to be finalised and a recommendation to come to me that I will look at. I do not want to be tied down here to implementing that to the letter, but I would be very surprised if the recommendations from that system when it is finalised were not fully implemented. I will wait and see those results.

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