Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. She stated the Government "values each and every member". Platitudes do not put food on the table. The pay structure of the Defence Forces is unique, in that allowances are a key part, but these have not been restored. Our Defence Forces do not get overtime. Defence Forces personnel on duty for the papal visit were given a paltry amount compared with others who did overtime. This is why there is a parade today. They do not have confidence in the PSPC or the initiatives that the Minister outlined because they have been on the waiting list and put on the long finger for too long. The exodus of personnel has been happening since 2012.

When one reads the words of someone who has served the State across the world, ex-Brigadier General Gerald Aherne, who has said that the bond between the Defence Forces and State has been broken, then that is the reality. It is the feeling among personnel at every level in the Defence Forces, including senior personnel. That is why there is a parade today. When members of our Defence Forces - Óglaigh na hÉireann, to whom we owe so much respect - are dependent on the working family payment to supplement their wages, it is an indictment of the Government.

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