Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

My first day in Leinster House was 25 years ago when I was a member of the Defence Forces security detail charged with protecting the campus. I admit to spending a little bit too much time in the Visitors Gallery looking down at proceedings. Little did I know how events would transpire and I would actually end up here today.

It is on that basis that I want to welcome the additional funding that has been announced this morning for our military. It is very important because it is desperately needed. I welcome the increased funding for infrastructure and capability development but, particularly, I want to welcome the increased funding for military pay for the people who are on the lowest pay grade in our Defence Forces. Those are the people who have less than three years’ service.

We all appreciate that our defence community has no access to the Workplace Relations Commission. It is denied access to the Labour Court and to any type of industrial action whatsoever. It is uniquely vulnerable from that perspective. Therefore, it is the Government’s job to intervene regularly to ensure a level playing field from a military perspective. To be fair to the Opposition as well, it is also the Opposition’s role. I want to put on record my gratitude to all Members of the House from all sides, both Government and Opposition benches, who have campaigned so passionately over this issue for the past number of years.

It is good to see at least a moderate increase and improvement announced this morning. Is the plan perfect? Of course not. However, is it progress? Yes, for sure. It builds on progress that has already occurred this year, particularly allowing reservists to travel overseas and for PDFORRA and Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, RACO, to associate with Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU.

How will we know if the plan is working? There is only one metric that matters and that is headcount. The strength of our military is the lowest it has been for 50 years right now at fewer than 8,300 people. It has not been this low in half a century and we need to get that number up. There has been a net loss of 203 people already in the first five months of this year. That is ten people a week. That is not turnover; that is attrition. No organisation can put up with that level of attrition.

The focus now needs to shift on three other allowances. First, the specialised instructors allowance was taken away as result of the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, cuts that have yet to be returned. Also, the military service allowance needs to be done, but also the patrol duty allowance. Because it is in his constituency, the Taoiseach would be aware that there is a major problem with the Naval Service at the moment. We get many calls from Cork, which I am very happy to take of course. Strictly speaking, they may not be my constituents, but they certainly are my people.

Does the Taoiseach accept that there are unique industrial relations circumstances in our armed forces as part of our military community? As a result, it requires regular, direct intervention by the Cabinet to ensure there is a level playing field for our troops and their very important families.

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