Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I took notes of almost everything every Senator said and I want to address them accordingly, so I would appreciate being afforded the courtesy to do so. I raised this issue directly with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the Tuesday before last at Cabinet. I hope I am not breaching Cabinet confidentiality, but directly after me the Minister for Health and the Minister for Education and Skills raised similar issues. We cannot as a Government select one organisation and say we are going to give its members a pay increase and forget about everyone else. We have to move appropriately with pay increases.

I met the wives and partners of Defence Forces members last week and told them this and said I will fight vehemently on their behalf, on the members' behalf and on behalf of PDFORRA and RACO. These representative organisations, specifically the two recognised ones, namely, PDFORRA and RACO, have told me of the huge challenges their organisations face from their members. I absolutely acknowledge this and will bring the message back to the Minister. One thing I did make sure of is that PDFORRA and RACO, even though they do not have full union status, will have a similar input at the negotiating table into the future. They will be able to get their message across.

Senator Ó Donnghaile said members of the Defence Forces cannot join unions. There are reasons for this that date to the foundation of the State and the Irish Defence Forces. However, the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, in negotiations on Garda pay a number of months ago, spoke about the GRA having access to the Workplace Relations Commission. I insisted at Cabinet that officials from my Department sit on that committee to make sure the representative views of PDFORRA and RACO are listened to and that we can bring back whatever is offered to members of An Garda Síochána. I want to do this for the members of the Irish Defence Forces because, as Minister of State with responsibility for defence, I am extremely proud of every man and woman in the organisation. I think I have dealt with pay and conditions and retention. I encourage anyone who has not read the report of the Public Service Pay Commission to read it.

Direct entry and re-entry were referred to. Action will be taken on these two issues. We either act on the deficiencies we see in the organisation or we do not, and one of the areas where we can act is direct entry. It has worked in many other areas in the public service where there are specific needs and requirements. If people leave the Irish Defence Forces and feel they have something to bring back to the organisation, I am happy to see them re-enter the organisation, although they may not come in on the same terms and conditions on which they left.I have asked the Secretary General of my Department and the Chief of Staff to come back to me with a realistic proposal on this which makes it attractive to bring somebody back into the organisation. There are many people who want to return to the organisation who felt the grass was greener on the other side. Having left, they realised they would rather be where they were whether as a commissioned officer or otherwise. I am insisting that they will be allowed to return.

People spoke about the climate survey. It was an act of great leadership for the Chief of Staff and the general staff to carry out a climate survey in the Defence Forces. It gave them an opportunity to identify the challenges within the organisation. They knew what many were and they are not all about pay and conditions. If I gave every Member here or every public servant a survey on what they wanted, pay would be at the top. There are other challenges within the organisation, however, that were fed back and recognised within the climate survey. If one does not have that information, one will not be able to fix the problems one faces. I am happy that the leadership - the general staff - is seeking to mitigate the challenges in the organisation and I will assist in every way I can. The Chief of Staff spoke yesterday morning to over 200 members of the Defence Forces. It is very important that they get to feel that the leadership of the organisation receives feedback from the members and that they are listened to. A huge number of issues are there which can easily be fixed. If one does not know what they are, however, they cannot be fixed. It is an opportunity for the general staff to see exactly what are the issues.

I was asked about barrack duty. It is absolutely true that there are people travelling from Athlone and Donegal to Dublin. When a member joins the Irish Defence Forces, he or she does not join an organisation that will accommodate him or her in the barracks that is closest to his or her home. Of course, people are going to have to travel. It is part and parcel of a person becoming a member of the Defence Forces.