Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Minister a good morning. I very much welcome the realisation that an additional 3,000 personnel are needed to staff our armed forces. I certainly agree with it. There needs to be more of an emphasis on retention as well as recruitment. On "The Late Late Show" last Friday, retired sergeant, Mr. Ray Goggins, was asked straight up by Ryan Tubridy whether he would have stayed in the Defence Forces if the pay was better and he said that yes, of course he would. That is the key solution here.

There were four key recommendations by the Commission on the Defence Forces, which really need to be implemented as soon as possible. The first is that the military service allowance be increased for personnel with less than three years' service. The second is that additional long-service increments be brought in for people. The third is that a new pay grade of lance corporal be established, which would assist 840 personnel. The fourth and perhaps most important recommendation is that offshore allowances for the Naval Service be increased. Could the Minister kindly indicate if those four measures will form the basis of the memo he is going to bring to the Cabinet in a few weeks’ time?

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