Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On Private Members' business this evening, Deputy Lisa Chambers will raise the situation pertaining to our Defence Forces. I put it to the Taoiseach that, in the context of the programme for Government and its commitment to the Defence Forces that over the last number of years, he has presided over a continuing deterioration in morale in our Defence Forces, and also in capacity and capability. We are now down to about 9,000 personnel, which is about 500 below the agreed strength of 9,500. Army officer numbers have gone down 15%, Naval Service officers are down 7.5%, and Air Corps are down 13.5%. I have met with the representative bodies of the Defence Forces, and there is extreme concern about the Army's capacity, for example, to deal with a major incident or a major event in this country. It has been run into the ground, and there is a lack of status and policy prioritisation being attached to our Defence Forces. Morale is at an all time low. Can the Taoiseach indicate to me when he believes that the commitments in the programme for Government in respect of the Defence Forces can be realised?

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