Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, agus go raibh maith agat as ucht an deis a thabhairt dom an t-ábhar tábhachtach seo a léiriú sa Seanad anocht. I am grateful for the opportunity to raise the issue of the 1994 Defence Forces contract, which is like a train coming down the tracks at many members of our Defence Forces.

Approximately 124 members of the Defence Forces were recruited in 1994 and will be summarily dismissed in April next year because of a contract from 1994 which sets a maximum service limit of 21 years for private and corporal personnel. I believe the upper service limit should be greatly increased, and the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association, PDFORRA, has also advocated for this, subject to the necessary medical and fitness tests. The future employment prospects of many of these people, who have done the State great service, would be quite poor. There would also be a significant additional cost to the State next year in terms of the modest gratuities and pensions that would have to be paid out, as well as the probable costs of hiring new members of the Defence Forces.

I have met members of the families of the Defence Forces members affected by this contract and they are very distressed. They do not see any rational reason for this, and they would be grateful if the Government should consider opening up this issue and changing it because it is an unfair and indeed disastrous situation for them to be in. It does neither them nor the State any good. I appeal to the Minister of State to say that this will be changed by next April, or that there are significant moves afoot to enable it to change at this time. Go raibh maith agat.