Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yes: na Teachtaí Mark Ward agus Sorca Clarke. Tógfaidh mé ceithre nóiméad i dtús báire agus ansin tá súil agam go mbeidh freagraí againn ón Aire Stáit.

Ba mhaith liomsa, cosúil leis na Teachtaí a chuaigh romham, mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le fir agus mná na bhFórsaí Cosanta as a ndíograis agus as an slí ina bhfuil siad tar éis tabhairt faoi na tascanna agus na dualgais atá curtha rompu go dtí seo, in ainneoin na gconstaicí atá orthu agus in ainneoin an slí ina bhfuil an Stát tar éis caitheamh leo le blianta anuas. I also praise the Defence Forces personnel who have been involved in Covid-19 operations in support of the civil power, the HSE and those who were and are now stationed overseas and their families. Thankfully, as the Minister of State has just mentioned, there is clarity on the UNIFIL troops returning in June, and I thank him for communicating with me along the way in that regard. Any time I have got a communication from him I have passed it on to those who had made enquiries.

I have a brief question about future rotation of those UNIFIL operations, specifically the one that is to happen at the end of June. Since there has been a run-on of the current deployment, will the troops going out to Lebanon have a six-month or four-month rotation? If four months, will they enjoy the overseas allowances for the full six months, as the Minister of State seemed to indicate in early correspondence with me, given that many families have budgeted for a full six months' overseas allowance and that often their mortgages depend on it?

The Minister of State and his Department, and previous Ministers, have undermined the Defence Forces and their ability to respond fully to challenges, in this case Covid-19. Those who have been tasked with work have done their damnedest and gone over and above the call of duty, but I am sorry to say that, given the reduction in personnel numbers and the stripping and undermining of their equipment, buildings and so on, they have not been able to respond as fully as we would expect.

In the Minister of State's response there was no mention of a reserve force. He even mentioned the Civil Defence. Did he say 800 of them were mobilised to do something? That leaves another 1,700 in the Civil Defence who were not called on at all.

This is an emergency, with all hands on deck, yet the Minister of State says how great it is that the Department was able to spend money on an airplane. That was already committed. It is the same with the proposal he brought before the House about recommissioning officers and re-entry. That was all committed to last year. What exactly is being done this year? How much of the €10.8 million he talked about has been committed already?

What about the purchase of new field hospitals and medical equipment? Is that buried in the middle of that figure? It does not seem to be there. I do not see mention of what other armies around the world have, such as field hospitals which are containers like Lego pieces that join up and can be used at a moment's notice. Again, they were not mentioned. I know they were asked for in the past. The Department turned them down. The Minister of State has had since very early in February or March to allow the purchase of such equipment and allow the Defence Forces to continue and enhance their work.

The Minister of State said it would cost a substantial amount of money to bring St. Bricin's hospital up to date. The Government is spending a substantial amount of money on private hospitals. Would it not be better to spend it on public hospitals which are in the Defence Forces' hands, in both the Curragh and St. Bricin's, and bring them up to a standard such that they can be utilised now and into the future in our response? Does the Minister of State accept any responsibility for having the Defence Forces under strength, ill-resourced and badly paid, which has impacted their ability to deliver fully for the State in the Covid response?

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