Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief. I compliment my colleague, Deputy Jack Chambers, who has worked tirelessly on this issue since he was appointed as Fianna Fáil's spokesperson on defence. The type of pressure he has been exerting in this case is needed. We must review FEMPI. We must establish a pay commission to address the damaging 2012 restructuring programme and restore the three-brigade structure. We must honour the working time directive, which the Government is not implementing. We must examine the present structure of the Department of Defence to enhance the input and discretion of military management in decisions on defence spending. The turnover rate in the Permanent Defence Force is 9% and in the Naval Service is 14%. The Minister of State knows this is not sustainable. It is most worrying. We need to realise that this is no ordinary case. Not very many years have passed since members of our Defence Forces died while ensuring members of the public were kept safe in this country.

They have also died abroad in the line of duty. We owe it to the people in the Army and their families, who cannot speak out or protest, to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. When there is a crisis with bad weather or back-up is needed for firefighting services, we cannot forget that the Army is there. This is not an ordinary situation and we need to act on it as quickly as possible. I do not blame the Minister alone. The responsibility lies clearly with the Taoiseach and he needs to take responsibility and support Army personnel.

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