Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I add my voice in support of the Bill and I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on the topic. I represent a constituency that is still proud to have an operational Army barracks. Sarsfield Barracks, which the Minister has visited many times, is situated within the heart of Limerick city. I am delighted to say the personnel based there contribute enormously and favourably to the vibrancy of my home city.

Members of the Defence Forces have represented the people of Ireland with distinction whenever and wherever they have served abroad. They are respected by members of other armed forces and have made a courageous contribution to all their missions. One needs only think of the humanitarian mission undertaken by the Naval Service in the Mediterranean in recent years. It is estimated that our Naval Service contributed to rescuing more than 18,000 migrants from the sea. Those individuals are a credit to us. I mention this to highlight the good work the Defence Forces do. Equally honourable contributions have been made by the land- and air-based strands of our Defence Forces. This is a group of women and men who have sacrificed many of the comforts the rest of us take for granted in the service of the people of Ireland.

The Bill is positive, but it does not address the key concerns we deal with every day regarding the well-being of members of the Defence Forces and their families. Their dedication and sacrifice are not matched by the pay they receive. In recent years Government cuts have led to a decline in Defence Forces numbers and a decline in morale among serving members. I believe this is due to a lack of appropriate pay and conditions. The State invests in the training of recruits and yet due to the lack of competitive pay, many members depart for the private sector. Last year 139 members of the Naval Service left. Many Defence Forces members must resort to sleeping in their cars because they cannot afford to pay rent. These concerns are demonstrated when we consider that the Naval Service and Air Corps are operating at 80% of their recommended staffing levels. Members of the Defence Forces need and deserve to be given fair wages. It is extraordinary that Defence Forces pay is among the lowest of all our public servants.

The programme for Government commits to creating a commission on the Defence Forces that would be then followed by the creation of a pay-review body. As I understand the commission on the Defence Forces has not yet been established, how long will they have to wait for that pay-review body to be set up and more importantly to report back?

Sinn Féin believes that a pay review should be conducted in earnest. We must stop the drain of talent from our Defence Forces. We must fairly compensate those brave women and men who serve us with honour and play a vital role in the fight against the arrival of narcotics into our State. They protect our people at times of national crisis and disaster and they must be paid fairly for this.

The Government must start listening to the concerns of Defence Forces members. We must allow their representatives to engage in collective bargaining with the proviso that they not be allowed to strike. We recommended this previously and were blocked back then by previous governments. As I said, Defence Forces personnel are among the worst-paid workers in the public service with many of them relying on the working family payment to make ends meet. Members see a long-term career in the Defence Forces as unsustainable and unviable. In order to provide for their families, they are leaving the forces in droves, often paying to do so themselves.

The Government must start listening to their concerns. It must recognise that members of the Defence Forces are employees and entitled to the same protections as all other workers. This needs to be legislated for. Sinn Féin introduced a Bill in 2017 to do this. I moved amendments to the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill, but unfortunately they were not accepted. We also introduced the Organisation of Working Time (Workers Rights and Bogus Self-Employment) (Amendment) Bill 2019. That Bill, if enacted, would have extended workers' rights to members of An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces. These moves, at the time, would have been particularly important.

As the Leas-Cheann Comhairle mentioned, last year we heard from a retired senior officer of the Defence Forces that the Government is treating them with contempt and disdain. It is simply not good enough. This is particularly relevant to many people in my constituency, based in Sarsfield Barracks. To serve in the Defence Forces is an honourable career, but it is not an attractive one due to the pay and conditions. Why should families need to seek social welfare assistance to get by?

I offer my support to these servants of the State. I offer my support to the Bill, but more must be done and it must be done soon.

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