Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Leader circulates precisely what he intends to say in the House to group leaders and Whips before he comes in here for the Order of Business. It is clear that his computer must not have been up to scratch this morning. He may have been trying to ambush us, although I would not expect him to act in an underhand manner.

Last week, I spent three days with the Not Forgotten Association, NFA, in the UK. The NFA is a military association that looks after the needs of military personnel, including a number of Irishmen, who have been injured in one way or another. This truly wonderful organisation looks after a total of 10,000 people. When I attended an NFA function in St. James's Palace, I was saddened to see men walking around on prosthetic legs, having lost their limbs in Afghanistan, Iraq and various other places. We could argue all day long about the rights and wrongs of it, but the truth of the matter is that 400 Irish men and women go to England every year to join the forces there. I thank the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for acceding to a request to allow an Irish branch of the regimental association of the Royal Irish Regiment to be established. The Irish branch, which had its first meeting last Saturday, will support men and women who return to this country after serving in the British forces. We could argue all day long about the rights and wrongs of it, but it does not matter. I served in the forces and I am proud of the service I gave. The important thing is that those who return to this country have an association to which they can turn if they need welfare. I think it is commendable that the Irish Government has allowed this to happen. I wish the royal Irish association every good fortune as it moves forward and as it looks after those who return. There will be serious issues with post-traumatic stress in years to come. People will need prostheses and various others things. I will leave it at that.