James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was due to substitute for Deputy Cowen with a question, but I will make a brief comment instead. My question was on when we will meet 9,500 target strength in the Permanent Defence Force. I completely agree with the Minister about the synergies in terms of private sector employment people can take up after serving in the Defence Forces. People have an opportunity to serve their country, train and perhaps educate themselves and then go on into the private sector to contribute to their country in different ways. That model always worked and it provides us with a strong skill set, especially in the tech and communications sectors. However, the difficulty now is that what might have been a stint of ten or 15 years, or even longer, in the Defence Forces before going into a senior, management, engineering or technical role in one of those organisations has become a few years, with people being moved on before they have had the opportunity to contribute to the country.

Members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence visited Haulbowline recently and heard first-hand the experience of many being recruited into the private sector and leaving, after having been trained up and invested in. It is very demoralising for all involved and particularly in light of the threatened events off the coast, it is critical the Naval Service, along with all the others, has the resources it needs.

See this speech in context