Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. Is he aware of the difficulties being experienced by members of the Defence Forces? At present, the Naval Service is short 38 staffing officers. One of our naval vessels was unable to put to sea because no engineering officer was available. Soldiers are having difficulty accessing basic items such as replacement uniforms. Last month I heard of a soldier who had to buy a pair of boots because a new pair could not be issued to him locally.

In light of Brexit, does the Minister of State accept that the reorganisation of the Defence Forces has left Ireland exposed, should a managed Border become necessary? Does he also accept that the reorganisation was a significant factor in the negative findings of the Defence Forces climate survey of 2015?

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