Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have three brief points to add to the contributions I have made over the past couple of weeks. First, I very much welcome this legislation. This is a historic day for the Reserve Defence Force. Its members have been screaming for this Bill for literally decades and it is finally here. It really is a defining moment for the Reserve Defence Force. It is 60% below strength but I see that as the low watermark for the Reserve and it can only get better from here. I would of course like to see employment protection legislation included, but we should certainly lock in our gains tonight and look towards drafting suitable employment protection legislation in future, particularly after the Commission on the Defence Forces reports later this year, most likely in December. We can take it from there.

My second point is that this proves the problems in the Defence Forces are not insurmountable in any shape or form. In fact, even long-standing issues like this can be completely fixed and this is a classic example of that.

My third and final point relates to the Minister. I got some excellent advice on the day before I took up my seat in Dáil Éireann from a gentleman in Portarlington called Matt Moore. He said if the Minister wants it to be done, it will be done. This legislation is a classic example of that. The Minister took a personal interest in this project and within a short timeframe, we have had a very swift and very positive outcome. The Minister should be commended for that. However, I now ask that the Minister switch his focus from this Reserve Defence Force legislation onto the other issues raised by PDFORRA and RACO in the last few weeks at the joint committee. Again, those issues are eminently solvable. I very much look forward to engaging constructively with the Minister in that regard. In summary, I welcome this historic Bill and look forward to supporting it later this evening.

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