Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Certainly not. I wish him many more years in this House in the future and like Senator Coghlan, I would like to spend a good few of those along with him if that is possible. That is up to our colleagues that elect us here.

As for the wives and partners of the Defence Forces personnel who are mounting a 24-hour campaign, they have a genuine concern and that has been outlined in this House on many occasions by myself, Senators Craughwell and McFadden and others.Shortly after completing their training recruits are leaving because they cannot afford to live and their families cannot survive on the wages that they are being paid. Until we stand up to that fact their departure will continue. There are difficulties in all sections of the Defence Forces. Until that is tackled those difficulties will continue.

I have a lot of time for the Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Deputy Kehoe. However, I am very much afraid that he has not been given the full facts. We have all witnessed in recent times what happens to the person who has political responsibility in a Department when he or she is not given the full facts. I do not want to see the same happen to him. I ask the Leader to relay to him the urgency of this situation and second the amendment to the Order of Business.