Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The impact of poor pay and appalling conditions on Defence Forces families has real and significant consequences for many people in Kildare who I represent. They often come to my office seeking help with homelessness and rent, fuel and child poverty. I recently met a number of Defence Forces families who are struggling to meet the costs of paying for their children to sit leaving certificate and junior certificate examinations. That is very sad. I have been in touch with Sarah Walsh of the Wives and Partners of the Defence Forces, WPDF, many times since the group was established in November 2016. I welcome her and her colleague, Sharon Dunne, to the Public Gallery. In her words, the Defence Forces are suffering from political neglect and institutional indifference. The members of the WPDF deserve a lot of credit for highlighting the enormous personal sacrifices made by men and women serving in the Defence Forces and their families, such as the impact on family life of the prolonged periods spent away from home, the daily struggles experienced by families as a result of the paltry wages which leave them unable to meet their basic needs, and issues with training exercises and overseas missions.

I recently held a public meeting in regard to the Defence Forces in Newbridge and another in Portarlington. I welcomed the opportunity to hear first-hand experiences from parents and partners of those working with the Defence Forces. Frustration, anger and helplessness were expressed by the vast majority of those in attendance. It made for very sobering listening. One word completely absent from the meetings was "hope". I have rarely attended or hosted a public meeting where there was no hope. People spoke of their pride in several generations of their family having served, but stated they would not recommend or support a decision by their son or daughter to join the Defence Forces.

The mental health issues, increased stress and low morale being experienced by our soldiers, sailors and aircrew are of significant concern. This morning, I heard about a class of aircraft technicians who have been sitting in Baldonnel with no one to train them. Some of them started first year three years ago and are still in first year because there is nobody to train them. Many do not turn up in the mornings and one cannot blame them for that.

Retired Army Commandant Cathal Berry sent me an adjudication report from September 2010 regarding the Army Ranger Wing. It was forced into arbitration in 2010. There was a breakthrough on an allowance, but it has still not been implemented nine years later. Today, the Taoiseach stated that he wishes to send the Army Ranger Wing to Mali, which is obviously a high-risk mission. The Minister of State and the Taoiseach are asking a lot of those soldiers in light of money having been owed to them for more than nine years.

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