James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As we understand it now, some members of the Defence Forces are working three 24 hour duties in a week and can even be called back into work after those shifts are finished. Such situations are becoming commonplace, and at the recent PDFORRA conference, it was stated that all the military services are overstretched due to ever decreasing manpower level. PDFORRA is calling on the Department of Defence to carry out an investigation into the physical and psychological effects such prolonged working hours are having on soldiers, sailors and air crews. This must be a worthwhile call and surely such an investigation could well bolster Defence Forces' cases with the Public Service Pay Commission. Delegates attending the association's annual conference in Castlebar, County Mayo, heard many of those doing 24 hour shifts also face commutes to and from work to start and carry out those long working hours. Speakers expressed concern that many military personnel suffer from sleep deprivation and enormous stress levels. They called it a serious health and safety issue. Will the Minister investigate this situation?

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