Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the addition of 800 gardaí announced in the budget and 400 civilian staff who are to be recruited by An Garda Síochána, however, this is in sharp contrast with the situation in the Defence Forces. The paltry €35 million allocation in the budget for the Defence Forces for next year will only cover the increase in salaries as result of the most recent round of public service negotiations. Last week, we were hosted in Haulbowline, Cork, the Naval Service depot, by the flag officer and his entire team. It is absolutely appalling what is going on. Seven of our nine ships were tied up last Friday in Haulbowline, while there are European vessels coming into Irish coastal waters to patrol Irish fishery areas. Have we no pride left whatsoever in this country or in the services we offer? Sailors at sea receives €56 per day, which is subject to tax, PRSI, the universal social charge, etc. They therefore come out with about €22. If they take a fisheries officer on board with them, that fisheries officer will get the full Civil Service overnight rate which amounts to about €147 tax-free, as will a member of An Garda Síochána if on board that ship. Where is the equity in that scenario?

I have been harping on about the Defence Forces for the last seven years and I am getting tired of it. We had an incredible meeting last Friday where the flag officer took the initiative to step back and allow his people talk to us without interference from commissioned officers or those at the top. We heard pride among the men and women we spoke to. They had pride in the service they were charged with. Later in the day, a captain of a ship said that when the crew go to sea, at each rating they have four different rates of pay because of allowances that were introduced. That is not equitable and cannot last. Thus, I am afraid we are looking at the death of the Defence Forces - the Naval Service, the Army, and the Air Corps - in the coming years. In two or three years, at most, we will no longer have a Naval Service.We have to do something quickly. Allocating €35 million is not the answer.