Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There are none so blind as those who will not see. The Minister of State in his response is basically trying to tell me that there is no problem at all and the turnover is normal. There is a crisis. Even the figures he gave indicate that a significant number of skilled personal are leaving the Defence Forces. That is a fact. It cost a lot of public money to get them to that level of experience. They are leaving in greater numbers than was previously the case.

Pay is not the only reason for the increased number leaving. The crazy conditions in which personnel are expected to work are also a factor. According to a member of the Defence Forces who has just returned from a deployment on Operation Sophia, he was working a 12-hour day at sea, seven days a week, with two or three 24-hour duties thrown in. He worked approximately 80 hours a week for an extra €125 per week on top of his basic salary of €435. That is a total of €560 for a 40-hour week with 40 hours overtime. Such working conditions could be addressed in order to save experienced and qualified staff who must endure long commutes on low pay. It is absolutely disgraceful. This is the reason why many personnel are leaving. If the Government continues to try to justify it and state that it is not a big deal as there would be costs anyway, the problem will perpetuate itself, as it has done, and the Government will be responsible for that.

See this speech in context