John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Unfortunately, I must disagree with the Tánaiste again. There is a lack of urgency. I refer back to the failure of the Government to reach its own minimum targets for bringing forward the heads of a Bill on the working time directive. The Tánaiste outlined some of the positive measures that have been made on some of the allowance, but as we stand here there are many members of the Defence Forces who are still reliant on the working family payment. It is an absolute disgrace. The Tánaiste is portraying this as some sort of win-win for members of the Defence Forces but 500 of them have left since the publication of the commission's recommendations. There are still members of the Defence Forces sleeping in their cars because of an inability to afford accommodation. That is a failure of the Tánaiste and of the Government and it reflects a lack of ambition and desire to address the chronic, major crisis within the Defence Forces.

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