Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have been fulsome in my praise for the Minister for Defence, Deputy Coveney, and the work he is doing with the Defence Forces, and I maintain that position. However, I was deeply disappointed last weekend to learn that national pay talks have started - at least, that is what we believe - and, contrary to the position of the Minister, Deputy Coveney, that the Defence Forces would be at the table from the beginning, they were not at the table and were not even aware of the fact that pay talks had started. Indeed, I understand that departmental officials were not aware that pay talks had started. The same applies to the Garda Síochána. This places general secretaries of the representative bodies in a most difficult situation with their members. I ask the Leader to advise the House tomorrow, if possible, what the position is with pay talks. Have they started and, if they have, who is involved? Why are those who are not affiliated to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, not involved on a peer equal level, which is what I was given to understand would be the case? We are preventing these organisations from affiliating with ICTU, so it is extremely important that they are treated as peer equals.

There is another matter the Leader might organise in the not too distant future. The search and rescue contract for the country is due to be renewed for 2023. The current contract will cost approximately €630 million. At the end of the ten years, we will have had ten years of excellent service in respect of search and rescue, but nothing else to show for it. A group of concerned people, chaired by me, is interested in bringing the Air Corps back into search and rescue, mandating the top cover service by the Air Corps on a roster basis and ensuring it has the resources. If the Leader would invite the Minister for Transport to the House to discuss this, I would appreciate it.