Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am listening to the Minister of State but I am talking about reality. What he is saying here is all rhetoric. As I said, I come from Kilkenny, a town with a military barracks. I know families who are affected by pay. Soldiers of this country are being badly left behind compared with other civil and public servants. They need a helping hand. Why are they on family income supplement, FIS? I know several military families in Kilkenny who are getting FIS. If they have a job in the public service, why are they on FIS? There is a reason for that and the Minister of State needs to wake up and see what is happening on the ground.

I will comment on the situation that has left many members of the 57th Infantry Group in an awkward position in Syria. There is much dismay among the families of those affected due to the manner in which this matter is being handled. A number of those affected by the delay have plans for vacation time with their families after six months' service in Syria, and they will now be forced to incur the costs of missed flights and accommodation deposits. Will the Minister of State and his Department investigate the possibility of assisting those affected in covering the associated costs of missing out on their travel commitments? I bring this up because four or five families contacted me yesterday whose husbands and fathers are serving in Syria where they will be stranded until 24 October. They need to be compensated for that and the families need to be looked after. I ask the Minister of State to take that on board also.

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