Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus ba mhaith liom mo leithscéal a ghabháil leis as a óráid a chailleadh ach tá a ráiteas léite agam.

I apologise for missing the Minister's opening remarks. I have read the speech that was given to us by the ushers. I am sure many of the sentiments I express tonight will be similar to those expressed by colleagues already.

During the debate in the Dáil on the raft of amendments contained in the Bill, my colleague, Deputy Brady, made it clear that Sinn Féin supported this legislation. He did so on the basis that the issues contained in the Bill had been extensively debated on Committee Stage, and the Minister had honoured his commitment to follow through by bringing forward amendments pertinent to the issues that were required to make the Defence Forces more efficient and effective.

The context for the changes that are required is the morale of Defence Forces personnel, both permanent and reserve. The Permanent Defence Force is well below the established figure of 9,500, with membership currently sitting at 8,500. The Reserve Defence Force is considerably worse off in terms of its numbers, with membership at 4,160 with a 60% shortfall. The expectation is that this legislation can address these gaps and I sincerely hope it will.

Other issues of concern include opportunities for meaningful operational service for reservists at home and abroad. While the Bill will remove some of the impediments to allow members of the Reserve Defence Force to engage in that activity, there also needs to be meaningful employment protection as well. Meaningful employment protection is a critical element in the plan to enhance the membership and competency of the Defence Forces. The Minister's public commitments in respect of employment protections are equally critical. His reference to the Commission on Future of the Defence Forces and its report to be delivered within a specific timeframe highlights the urgency attached to resolving the employment protection issues. The hope is that the commission's report can be completed by the end of the year and that the necessary protections will be in place for the Reserve Defence Force. I sincerely hope that can indeed be the case. To ensure the momentum is maintained, I hope the Minister can also ensure that discussions begin straight away with respect to employment protections.

Two other issues of huge concern are remuneration and the working time directive. These must be satisfactorily addressed within both the permanent and indeed reservist elements of the Defence Forces, especially when the reservists are on duty locally or overseas. The Government should bring forward any EU regulations with respect to the working time directive for the Defence Forces. The Minister should act on this as a matter of urgency.

It is also important for the morale of the reservists that their service in the Reserve Defence Force is recognised and that they are paid for it. The notion of unpaid activities must be abolished and the Reserve Defence Force must move into this century. An hour for hour pro rata system should be introduced and all allowances available to the Permanent Defence Force should also be available to members of the Reserve Defence Force for undertaking certain categories of activity.

I will digress slightly from the legislation to mention an issue of relevance to the Minister with regard to this brief. One of the issues I and other colleagues have raised consistently with the Minister, and with some of his predecessors in the previous Seanad, is the issue of recruitment and retention. I have noticed an upsurge in television advertisements and events being posted by the Defence Forces around various towns and cities. I have seen billboards and posters on buses. That is welcome because it is necessary. We have made the case as to why more people need to join the Defence Forces, either permanent or reserve. One of the problems is that I do not see any of that at home in Ireland's second city. I see television advertisements on RTÉ; I do not see them yet on UTV. I do not see advertisements in the Irish Newsor the Belfast Telegraph. I do not see posters on the sides of buses there. What I see are lots of young people, who are interested in joining the Defence Forces, contacting me all the time for assistance in how to signpost them. Some of them may want references for their application. There is, therefore, a willing and entitled audience of people who should be sought out and encouraged to pursue a career in the Defence Forces from right across all of our Thirty-two Counties because that is the right and proper thing to do. Ultimately, at the end of the day, it makes sense because it is a logical and beneficial thing to do in terms of strengthening the numbers, capabilities and talent within the Defence Forces.

The content of this Bill and its passing reflects the fact that serious issues need to be resolved to put the Defence Forces and their personnel in a place where morale is high and they have the resources to fulfil their obligations in an effective and efficient way. There are morale issues in the Defence Forces. This has been openly spoken about, most recently at the meeting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence. Much work, therefore, needs to be done and I know the Minister appreciates that. I hope he can lead the implementation of these changes to ensure the Defence Forces are fit to do their jobs in an enthusiastic and upbeat manner.

Like other colleagues, I will finish by welcoming the Minister's meeting today with the Women of Honour group to discuss its experiences and concerns. While standing in absolute support and solidarity, I am going to reserve commentary until I have had the opportunity to meet with and hear from the group directly. Certainly, what has been corresponded to us and what we have heard relayed in the media is cause for deep concern, and indeed, disgust given what has been suggested. I welcome the Minister's firm commitment this evening to the review. I wish that review a positive, speedy and effective conclusion that satisfies the needs of victims. The Defence Forces must be a place where those serving are treated with the utmost respect and given corporate protections and safeguards.

I welcome this Bill and look forward to working with the Minister and other colleagues across the Chamber in ensuring that it is brought about as efficiently and quickly as possible.