Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Obviously, I entirely agree with my colleague's remarks, but there is a serious security issue as well that needs to be borne in mind in the course of this debate. We have had crises in the Defence Forces due to the shrinking of numbers and the failure to replace them for various reasons. We must put in place whatever provisions are necessary to ensure we retain numbers in the Defence Forces. This is a vital service. In war or in peace, we rely upon the Defence Forces in emergencies. We will continue to rely upon them in the future. That means we must have people who are committed, people who have long-term service as well as new recruits. Most important, if there are issues causing obstacles, we must identify them, deal with them, and try to ensure they are removed from the debate so that we continue to have a standing Army that is effective, efficient, modern and willing to continue to give the services it has given.

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