Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I commend him on his stewardship of his Department and on the publication of the commission report. I acknowledge the roles of the former Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, and former Government Chief Whip in the House, Gabrielle McFadden, who is a strong champion of the Defence Forces. Our collective pride in the Defence Forces, as articulated by many of us today and by the contents of the commission, must now be turned into action. The significant changes and challenges coming to the Defence Forces, along with defence provision as outlined tonight in the House, are ones the Minister will have our full support on. Everybody in the House wants to see full implementation of the commission report. I ask the Minister to engage with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, on the extension of the posts, as Senator O'Loughlin said, of the 94 sergeants or petty officers on the cliff edge of having to retire this year. Comparative personnel in other parts of the public service do not have to go at 50, but can go at 58 or 60. Will the Minister look at that? It is important we do not lose, as Senator O'Loughlin said, that cohort of people, who are very important.

The Minister and I share the constituency of Cork South-Central, which has a strong defence and naval cohort of people. We both engage with PDFORRA. I thank Mark Keane and members of PDFORRA for their engagement. There is an issue with seagoing personnel concerning payment of the €56 per day before tax. I ask that the seagoing allowance be reviewed so we can allow some form of further compensatory payment to the men and women who serve, travel away from home and are at sea for inordinate periods that to many of us would be unconscionable.

I thank the Minister for his genuine interest in and commitment to the Defence Forces. I heard some Members opposite talking about closure of barracks. They have short memories. They were in government when they closed barracks. I forgot the troika were here. I thank the Minister for what he has done and is doing. He is doing a very good job.