Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. I congratulate him on his appointment and wish him well.

As he is undoubtedly aware, even though this matter is not his particular area, the Defence Forces are faced with many challenges. One regularly hears about low morale, the recruitment and retention of staff and low pay. It is sad that many members of the Defence Forces must avail of family income supplement, FIS, to simply survive. With respect, not assigning a full Ministry to the defence portfolio sends out the wrong message. The current Minister responsible for the Defence Forces is doing a good job but I would much prefer if he could sit at the Cabinet table as it would afford him an opportunity to exert more power and influence on his Cabinet colleagues.

I have outlined many issues. Recently, leave entitlements for members of the Defence Forces were brought to my attention. At present, leave entitlements can be lost at the end of the year if a member of the Defence Forces who has been posted overseas for a mission has his or her term extended or if a member is on sick leave or falls pregnant. The loss of leave is unfair and the situation should not be allowed to continue. Interestingly, over the five-year period from 2001 to 2016, as many as 146,038 days were lost by members of the Defence Forces. That is a staggering figure. In monetary terms, the amount involved would be €22 million. I am sure that the Minister of State appreciates that people in any employment can get sick or fall pregnant. It is very sad that in such situations people lose their annual leave allotments if they are out sick at the time they were about to take their annual leave. People, through no fault of their own, can find themselves in these situations. The leave entitlement aspect needs to be addressed. Does the Minister intend to amend the Workplace Relations Act 2015? If so, the terms and conditions enjoyed by all workers could be enjoyed by the members of the Defence Forces, which is the least they deserve. There is a lack of respect for the Defence Forces and the leave entitlement issue is just another example. I am interested in hearing the comments that the Minister of State will make.