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

To answer the Deputy's question, a crisis, no, but real substantive issues that need to be dealt with, absolutely. We completely accept that there are issues in the context of recruitment and retention in particular parts of the public service, including the Air Corps. In terms of health and safety, the Minister of State with responsibility for defence has received an assurance from the general officer commanding, GOC, of the Air Corps that any issues around health and safety will be dealt with. We have no specific concerns, therefore, in the context of health and safety. The Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, will meet the representative associations to discuss the findings of this particular report. It is important to say that since the report was compiled, PDFORRA has signed up to the Lansdowne Road agreement. It did so in March, which was after the report was compiled. That allowed for the commencement of pay increases and payment in arrears to its members. These improved pay scales have now been implemented and backdated to 1 July. The Minister of State will attend the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, RACO, conference in the next week or so.

It is also worth mentioning the kind of investment that is now going into the Defence Forces. There is a capital allocation of €406 million for the next six years, which is very significant. That comprises: €250 million for new Naval Service ships to replace existing vessels; €55 million for armoured personnel carriers as part of a programme running over five or six years; a Cessna aircraft replacement programme, the tender for which is ongoing; €11 million to purchase armoured utility and logistics vehicles; and €5 million for replacement Pilatus aircraft. In terms of barracks, €33 million worth of projects are now at various stages of construction, including: €3 million to upgrade the accommodation in the Curragh; €3.8 million for the locker block refurbishment at Cathal Brugha Barracks in Dublin; and €2.7 million for an upgrade to Custume Barracks in Athlone. By any measure, that is a significant capital investment programme taking place in the years ahead.

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