Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

A sum of €60 million extra was given to defence in the budget last year. It materialised into a 4% increase in pay for personnel but a 37% increase in spending on equipment. That is where the money is going. Instead of addressing the issues that are driving people out of the Defence Forces, the Minister of State is throwing money at things like new ships for the Naval Service. The national development plan includes a provision for an enormous €541 million capital investment in defence over the period 2018-22. The Naval Service plans to increase its complement of ships from eight to nine, with the LE George Bernard Shawdue to come into service in 2019. That ship cost €67 million.

This is despite the Naval Service not having enough personnel last year to crew eight ships, let alone nine. In addition, there is also a plan to spend €200 million on a multi-role vessel. The reasons for doing that have less to do with the Naval Service being able to fulfil its day-to-day duties and much more to do with trying to impress our European colleagues in the Mediterranean. The multi-role vessel will be capable of carrying a battalion of soldiers along with landing craft. It will also have freight capacity for military vehicles. What in God's name do we need that for? The Minister of State would be better off paying the Defence Forces personnel.

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