Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We have gone over several of the specific issues. For all of us, the issue is urgency. It is lovely to set up structures, and every report we have had has referred to new structures almost in management-speak, but there has been little by way of delivery. The objective of the commission was to modernise our Defence Forces, stop the haemorrhaging of personnel and ensure the objectives set out were achieved. Regarding reporting to this House, can the Tánaiste set out his timeline for what he expects to happen during the course of this year and how it is going to be communicated to this House? This would ensure that instead of having the same type of response on every occasion we raise this matter during parliamentary questions, we could have up-to-date reporting of achievements, as opposed to structural things that are happening. I refer to actual things in terms of recruitment, training, retention, specific equipment and so on.

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