Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am the first to recognise that when barracks closed during the reorganisation extra costs were incurred by members of the Defence Forces and I am not disputing this. Since I was appointed to this position in May 2016 I have asked that members of the Defence Forces are located as closely as possible to their homes and this is happening. A number of family initiatives have been introduced by the Chief of Staff and the general staff to comfort members of the Defence Forces. I am the first to recognise this. There have been real salary increases which I have stated and I do not want to state them again, during the Lansdowne Road agreement and the extended Lansdowne Road agreement and for post-2013 members of the Defence Forces whereby they received a €5,000 increase which was backdated. There has been a huge amount of increases.

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