Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Minister on the pride Irish society has in the Defence Forces, but this is not just about pride. It does not put food on the table and a roof over the heads of those young recruits who have to sleep in cars because they have been rostered for duties in barracks or far from their homes and it is not feasible to drive home and then back again. Current recruitment levels will not fill the vacancies. The vacancies are causing a huge increase in the workload of remaining members, which means extra shifts, longer hours, not seeing their families, not enough hours between rosters, having to sleep in tents in the rain, as we saw in the Phoenix Park when personnel of other emergency services were being appreciated and able to go home or accommodated in safe and secure accommodation. Why would anybody join the Defence Forces knowing they would face the prospect of having to sleep in a car outside the barracks? Why would one volunteer for duty overseas when one would have to take suspect medication which has left colleagues debilitated or when one cannot afford a home or rent, despite the fact that one is doing one of most dangerous jobs in the State? Why would one join to become a bomb disposal expert, for instance, when one could be faced with 120 hours on duty because of the flood of soldiers leaving the Defence Forces? Why is there a delay in the making of a submission to the Public Service Pay Commission? Will the Minister look again at the issue of a supplementary pension to bring the Defence Forces into line with other public service workers? Will she assure the House and those who are parading outside that measures to be taken in the budget this year will appreciate properly, once and for all, the members of the Defence Forces?

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