Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State will recall that my colleague, Deputy Lisa Chambers, and myself at each meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence when defence issues have been discussed have raised the need to improve the pay and conditions of members of the Permanent Defence Force. I cited examples of real hardship to families directly to the Minister of State where, unfortunately, the previous Government closed Dún Uí Neill Barracks in Cavan, which was the most modern army barracks in Europe and the only purpose-built barracks in Ireland. Those members were transferred initially to Athlone to Custume Barracks, but subsequently most of them have ended up serving in barracks in Dublin. There is a cost on individual members travelling to their place of work. In many instances there may not be a second motor car in the household and there are extra costs when the member of the Permanent Defence Force is away at work and the spouse, wife or partner is at home caring for children. Real hardship has been inflicted on these people. There is a need for them to get an improvement in pay and conditions. They do not want to have their spouses or partners out on the streets. They want to be rewarded for the work they do in a very professional way. I come from two counties in the south of Ulster where we had the benefit of the protection of the Permanent Defence Force when paramilitary organisations were trying to bring down the State. They have always done us proud and we should reward those people for their work on behalf of all of us.

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