Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. The Public Sector Pay Commission report, which has now been accepted by the representative bodies, provides for a €10 million additional package for the Defence Forces. This is welcome but it is not a solution in itself. It will not fix the recruitment and retention issues, although it is an important step in the right direction. I recently visited the Curragh Camp with other members of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence. Not only did we see the buildings in the Curragh Camp, we had meaningful engagement with key personnel, from privates through to colonels, including when senior management left the room and left the politicians with the troops. A number of issues arose. The review of pay is a key consideration. Even members who do not want to leave the Defence Forces referred to the extra stress and strain being placed on them as a result of the loss of personnel in their units. Affiliation with ICTU was also raised. While this is not something a soldier necessarily wants or desires, there was a recognition that something has to change.

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