John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome these amendments, which Sinn Féin will support. We debated the issues extensively in committee and I commend the Minister on following through on what he said he would do by bringing forward the amendments. We know there are many challenges and difficulties within the Defence Forces. The Permanent Defence Force is well below the established figure of 9,500, with membership currently in the region of 8,500. Unfortunately, the Reserve Defence Force is considerably worse in terms of numbers. The established figure is 4,169 but there is a 60% shortfall. There is a huge gap that needs to be filled and I hope this important legislation will go some of the way to addressing it.

There must be opportunities for meaningful operational service for reservists both domestically and overseas. While the Bill will remove some of the impediments to allowing members of the Reserve to engage in that activity, there also needs to be meaningful employment protection. It is interesting that the Minister has said those conversations have not started. This is a critical piece of the puzzle and that engagement needs to begin immediately. He also referred to the Commission on the Defence Forces, which is doing its work within a specific timeframe. We hope it will come back with a completed report by the end of the year. We have a narrow window to put in place the critical protections that are needed for members of the Reserve Defence Force. It is to be hoped that this Bill will act as a catalyst to encourage more members of the community to join the Reserve and will help to retain them. We need that employment protection to be put in place and the Minister must begin the discussions straight away to allow it to happen.

The issue of remuneration must also be examined. We know there are major challenges in the Permanent Defence Force in the context of pay. We also know there are also huge issues with regard to the working time directive. These must be addressed within the Permanent Defence Force and also, I imagine, within the Reserve Defence Force when members embark on domestic and overseas duties as a result of the proposed changes. Ireland must be brought in line with EU regulations where the working time directive is concerned. That is something the Minister must address and move forward. Members of the Reserve Defence Force must be paid. The concept of unpaid activities must be abolished and we must move the Reserve Defence Force into this century. That can only be done by addressing that issue along with many others. An hour for hourpro rata system should be introduced and all allowances available to the Permanent Defence Force should be available to members of the Reserve Defence Force for undertaking certain categories of activity as well.

While this is an important step forward in addressing some of the many challenges within the Defence Forces, particularly the Reserve Defence Force, I am under no illusions. There is much more work that must be done. It is incumbent now on the Minister to use this as a catalyst to progress matters and start addressing some of the many challenges facing our Defence Forces. I said yesterday that morale within the Defence Forces is at an all-time low. The Minister challenged me on that but I hope he has gotten to see the contribution RACO made at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence yesterday afternoon. I will not repeat what its representatives said word for word but their contribution was very damning about where our Defence Forces stand at this point. The Minister must move now. He has, I hope, the support of the House on these amendments but he must move to ensure our Defence Forces are fit for purpose going forward and that the right protections are in place for all their members.

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