Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am sure the Minister finds it ironic to be criticised by his former colleagues for the policies they brought in together, but such is life in here. Increased capital expenditure would, of course, be welcome if we had the staff to operate the equipment.

The point is that staff and personnel are being bled dry and are leaving in droves. We do not have the personnel to operate that. Restoring pay to pre-FEMPI levels, as we are often told, is not good enough. It does not address the situation of post-2011 recruits or the cost of living issues. That explains some of the problems being experienced. When small increases in pay operate against the increased workload that fewer Defence Forces personnel are expected to shoulder, the hourly rate is seen to plummet and people spend more time away from their families. They do not have the protection of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 or all the things which make it a very family-unfriendly situation. They do not have the same security of tenure as other public sector workers, in fact they must reapply every few years. This is a critical situation. If we are talking about prudent management of our financial resources then investing in staff is far more cost-effective than investing in shiny new toys when we do not have the personnel to operate them.

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