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

On the Public Service Pay Commission, as the Minister of State will be aware, some reports have been leaked. It appears the Government flew a kite before the local elections and it has gone down like a lead balloon. If reports are accurate, a private with up to three years' experience stands to benefit to the tune of 96 cent per day on the military service allowance, and that is even before tax.

Before the local and European elections, the Government published billions of euro worth of announcements, whether as part of the national development plan, as the national broadband plan or for the beef sector. The one area of policy that was very much not announced was the area of defence policy and the serious recruitment and retention issues that we have.

Why is the Minister of State blatantly ignoring the recommendations from military management and when will he publish this report? Where is it at right now? Has the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, received it? Has the Minister of State read the report and will he provide more information on its contents? There are serious issues with morale of which the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, will be aware, much worse that the HR issues that he mentioned last night in this House. There are serious morale issues and a total hopelessness and Deputy Kehoe has a duty, as Minister of State, to reassure members of the Defence Forces that he is doing his level best to address the issues.

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