Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have immense respect for our Defence Forces and for the work they do daily throughout the country. I am particularly proud of the roles they played in the commemorations in 2016 for the centenary celebrations and that they will continue to play over the next ten years. All of us in the House are proud of the important role they play overseas, whether in peacekeeping missions in Lebanon and around the world or the really important search-and-rescue role our Naval Service has played in the Mediterranean in recent times. All public servants have had their pay reduced in the past couple of years, starting when Deputy Micheál Martin's party was in office and continuing under mine. We are now in the process of pay restoration. Pay restoration for public servants, including members of the Defence Forces, began a number of years ago and, subject to the ratification of the Lansdowne Road continuation agreement, which was made only a few weeks ago, it will continue into next year. Salaries are increasing across the Defence Forces and will continue to do so should that deal be ratified. In addition, in recent years we have been reducing the universal social charge which is the other way of improving the take home pay, not just of people who serve in our Defence Forces but people across the economy who pay the universal social charge, USC.

Recruitment to the Defence Forces resumed quite some time ago. It had been stalled previously and has resumed for the Defence Forces. When we advertise for new recruits to the Defence Forces, the number of people applying very considerably exceeds the number of places available. That is very encouraging because it suggests there are lots of people who want to become members of our Defence Forces, notwithstanding the terms and conditions currently in place. I acknowledge that there are some very specialised areas in which there is a particular problem with recruitment but recruiting at entry levels has not been a problem in recent years. In terms of representation, I understand there is a process under way to give RACO and PDFORRA greater access to industrial relations machinery but no decision has been made on that yet.

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