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

This Bill is important but it also illustrates how ridiculous the Government was during the early weeks of the Covid-19 crisis to rush through legislation that we must now amend relating to soldiers, and officers in particular, who wish to re-enlist. We were all told that it was happy days, and officers would re-enlist. We welcomed it then and still do, but it was rushed and for no reason, because it was never the panacea for the Defence Forces' problems, which the Government presented it to the public as. It was not, it is not and it will not be. The problems in the Defence Forces are underinvestment and the undervaluing of its members. For many years, members of the Defence Forces have stayed out of duty, loyalty and the desire to see the Defence Forces act properly, and in the forlorn hope that some Government would take them sufficiently seriously to pay them properly and reflect in their pay packets at the end of the week the hours they put in away from their families. This legislation does not address that, which is a pity as it is something that the Government's first defence Bill should address.

The Bill addresses courts martial and military law to a degree, which is welcome. However, there are many issues underlying the state of the Defence Forces, many of which I have raised over the years, back to when the Minister last held his position, on the use and abuse of Defence Force personnel who were issued with the anti-malarial drug Lariam despite warnings from many other armies and defence forces. Thankfully, its use is at an end but the legacy continues. Dealing with that legacy will be under the Minister's watch.

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Ending its use is a slight admission that the policy of issuing it in the first place was wrong.

There is another outstanding issue which needs to be addressed and if it is addressed properly, it would show that the State properly cares for the men and women of the Defence Forces. It is the issue of those in the Air Corps who have been poisoned by chemicals. It is not something that somebody made up. Those men and women, men in particular, have suffered the consequences. There are many unexplained medical complications among those who were exposed to these chemicals. At the very least, there needs to be an investigation into the causes of these complications, into unexplained deaths, unexplained illnesses and the high rate of suicide among a small cohort. It may help some of those military families who have encouraged young people to join the Air Corps. That help is not there.

I know many military families who have had a long tradition of military service and their sons and daughters are not thinking about careers in the Defence Forces any more. Part of it relates to wages and part of it is that they feel that they are not recognised. Another part is the absolute failure of the State. I heard a Deputy mention the establishment number of 9,500 earlier. I am old enough to remember when the State looked for 12,500 from the establishment number, and it is not that long ago. That is the sort of number that the State should be looking at but it will not achieve it. In fact, it is going towards 8,000 at the moment. That is scary because it means that many military installations cannot function and duties cannot be fulfilled, given those low numbers. The State needs to address it seriously and actively. Buying new planes during the pandemic will not address the failures in the Air Corps. Appointing new cadets by itself will not address it. The Government needs to substantially increase the numbers of recruits that are coming in and it needs people with experience who bought their way out of the Defence Forces to come back in. They are the people who will manage the Defence Forces in the interim when there are significant gaps. There are officers of different ranks trying to do the work of two or three people.

I could go on about many other issues in the Defence Forces. Some of it is simple respect for human dignity. I was in the Curragh and saw the state of some of the toilets and living quarters. The Government might be addressing some of it, but it is not quick enough, given what I saw on that day. That is only one barracks. From what I heard from those who live in different barracks around the country, the accommodation, whether living accommodation or accommodation used for meetings and exercise, is below standard. That shows that the State has not respected them properly and does not respect them. I have no major problem with the legislation before us but it is not the legislation that should be before us. The legislation that should be before us should reflect respect for those who are in the Defence Forces.

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