Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

Recruits and cadets are enlisted serving members. Applicants can apply to the public services Ombudsman. They can complain to the Minister for Defence in general terms in the first instance. The Ombudsman might insist on that because all other avenues must be exhausted before going to the Ombudsman. No civil servant is in the service of the Defence Forces. They are civil servants of the Minister. While I take Senator Brian Hayes's point about whistleblowers, the matter was raised on the Order of Business in the Dáil this morning and that legislation is imminent. That is the best way to deal with the issue. A significant number of people have recourse to the ombudsman for the Defence Forces. Senator Brian Hayes will know that under the existing system, the Minister as the final court of appeal was only available to enlisted personnel. For the first time we have moved a considerable distance beyond that. I believe we have found the right balance.