Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I know that. I am sorry; I know it is not in order and I apologise but I find it helpful to have a banter with the Minister. When we were passing the omnibus Bill in March, we assumed there would be a facility for people who wanted to re-enlist to be welcomed back. If there is a big disparity between the numbers who have applied and the numbers who have been accepted, it would be interesting to hear why that is the case and, perhaps, the categories of people involved. That is again something the Minister might return to in his reply.

In essence, this is largely a technical tidying Bill that proposes to formalise in statute law practices that are already the norm.

For that reason, I do not think anyone in the House will have any difficulties with them but they do feed into the bigger, more general debate about our Defence Forces, and about issues of pay, conditions and proper support where equipment for our armed forces is concerned. Most of us in the House agree that we still attract people of the highest calibre into our armed forces, that they perform to the highest level whenever they are asked, either in domestic crises or international situations and that they always inspire pride. In any commemorative event we always turn to our Defence Forces personnel to provide the solemn authority to many public events. On the other side of the Atlantic, there is a debate going on about respect for the military but it behoves us to not only manifest that respect, regard and genuine appreciation for the work of our Defence Forces by what we say but to do that by giving them the pay, conditions and the right to be represented that is contingent on holding the status we want to give them.

I ask the Minister to specifically respond to the request, as we embark on a new comprehensive public sector pay round, as to how and in what form are our Defence Forces to be represented in order that they are not, as I said, in a room outside the main negotiating room being told what is going on, but actually are having input in the discussions and are beneficiaries to the fullest extent of any improvements negotiated across the public services.

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