Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As we assess Ireland's involvement in UN peacekeeping missions over the past two years, I take the opportunity to commend the men and women of our Defence Forces who serve the State with such distinction. We have a long and proud history of peacekeeping, dating back to 1958, and this is a record and tradition we should not take lightly or for granted.

The reports before the House lay out Irish involvement in UN Missions in 2017 and 2018. I am pleased that what was at the core of the first missions in 1958 remains today, namely, to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security. We have now amassed almost 70,000 individual tours of duty and last year we celebrated 60 years of unbroken duty in UN peacekeeping. In so many ways, and as a small country, we punch well above our weight in this regard and this is down to the professionalism and dedication of our Defence Forces members who serve in the world’s most dangerous places and harshest environments with the greatest of courage and conviction. The men and women of the Defence Forces are a credit to all of us and they are the reason Ireland is so highly regarded and renowned as a country committed to peacekeeping across the globe.

In light of this, it is so hard to comprehend why Defence Forces personnel are still awaiting a decision from the Government on the Public Service Pay Commission's report. There is a reason we are in the midst of the largest retention crisis we have ever seen among Defence Forces personnel and cannot get close to the permanent strength of 9,500 as laid out in the White Paper. The reason is that Defence Forces personnel are tired of committing themselves so selflessly only to be treated so badly and paid so poorly. The Defence Forces continue to be the worst-paid workers in the public sector. Despite the high-profile recruitment campaigns, we are still losing more personnel than we are gaining. In the context of our UN involvement, this is resulting in a huge capability drain. The ongoing retention crisis is leaving units with limited or inexperienced instructor staffs to provide essential weapons or vehicles training. These are exactly the kinds of skills and expertise required for overseas deployments. This is now leading to a situation where those with certain skill sets are being mandatorily selected having only returned from overseas less than 12 months previously. The implications of this drain in experience is having such knock-on consequences for remaining soldiers, who now are themselves looking to leave, or their peers are avoiding pursuing certain courses as they know they will become the next flogging horses. This is not a way to treat Defence Forces personnel in the 21st century.

For example, a lack of vehicle gunnery instructors is affecting the ability to train crewmen within the corps. This is compounded by a lack of suitable ammunition to conduct range practices to enable personnel to qualify in weapons systems, as stocks are being withheld for overseas mission readiness exercises. The retention and recruitment crisis is having a direct impact on our peacekeeping abilities. There has been an increase in the budgetary allocation for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade while at the same time, according to the internal unit of the Defence Forces, the allocation for the Defence Forces is stagnant. In the context of the Department's pursuit of a seat on the UN Security Council, investment in our capabilities and capacity around equipment and training is extremely important. The Government needs to match what is says with investment. If this matter is not properly addressed without further delay, the reports the Minister for Defence will bring to the Dáil in the coming years will be much shorter because we simply will not have the personnel to continue our peacekeeping at the level we have done for so long.

I noted recent news reports on the Public Service Pay Commission, which is due to report shortly. I hope there is much more to come for Defence Forces personnel then was reported, as otherwise the problems will not go away. When does the Minister of State propose to introduce an overseas establishment for officers and non-commissioned officers, NCOs, to allow vacancies to be filled while people are overseas? In committee earlier today, I outlined the need for intervention at the levels of captain, corporal and sergeant, where there are major capability gaps. The Minister of State responded that there was an allocation available for those above that threshold but not at the levels where there are serious capability gaps. He also mentioned that a number of gap analyses had been undertaken. We need to see the outcome of that analysis in order that we can address the shortages.

The 700 personnel overseas are factored into the current strength of the Defence Forces. This is misleading and those left behind are plugging the gaps, often by double and treble jobbing which is causing huge increases in stress for overworked personnel. When will the policy of personnel acting up a rank to fill overseas gaps be reintroduced, such that detailing officers, as currently happens, is done away with? This kind of penny-pinching is forcing people out of the Defence Forces and ultimately undermines and destabilises our peacekeeping operations as a whole. We need to treat Defence Forces personnel with respect and pay them properly for their selfless dedication and commitment to our country and peacekeeping around the world.

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