Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

When the review is concluded, it might be prudent and appropriate for the House to have a discussion on that matter. I await the review with anticipation.

11 o’clock

Can the Minister of State confirm whether a military covenant, similar to that contained in the UK legislation and giving a commitment to the armed forces, will be included in the final agreement relating to industrial relations? The reason I ask - I know that the representative associations have raised this matter with the Minister of State - is because a member of the Defence Forces is a very special type of employee. Members of the Defence Forces forgo many of the rights the rest of us, as employees, take for granted. I will outline the key rights a member of the Defence Forces forgoes. They are: he or she is subject to military law 24-7, 365 days a year; the provisions of the EU working time directive do not apply to him or her; he or she has an obligation for duty 24/7, 365 days of the year; he or she can be posted anywhere, at any time by order; membership of a trade union is prohibited, and, by extension, affiliation to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, is prohibited; industrial action is prohibited; and a mandatory early retirement age is imposed on him or her.

For the reasons I have outlined, a military covenant enshrining in legislation the special status of a Defence Forces employee has been called for by the representative associations and their members for a very long time. I very much support this. Can the Minister of State give a commitment that such a covenant will be included in the new review?

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