Is the proposal for dealing with Thursday's business agreed? Agreed. We have 15 minutes left for questions on promised legislation. We should have short, snappy questions and answers to give everybody an opportunity.

On Private Members' business this evening, Deputy Lisa Chambers will raise the situation pertaining to our Defence Forces. I put it to the Taoiseach that, in the context of the programme for Government and its commitment to the Defence Forces that over the last number of years, he has presided over a continuing deterioration in morale in our Defence Forces, and also in capacity and capability. We are now down to about 9,000 personnel, which is about 500 below the agreed strength of 9,500. Army officer numbers have gone down 15%, Naval Service officers are down 7.5%, and Air Corps are down 13.5%. I have met with the representative bodies of the Defence Forces, and there is extreme concern about the Army's capacity, for example, to deal with a major incident or a major event in this country. It has been run into the ground, and there is a lack of status and policy prioritisation being attached to our Defence Forces. Morale is at an all time low. Can the Taoiseach indicate to me when he believes that the commitments in the programme for Government in respect of the Defence Forces can be realised?

There is a debate on this matter this evening. The previous Government spent almost three years putting together a detailed White Paper on the future of the Defence Forces. Their budget has increased again this year. I do not agree with Deputy Martin on the issue of morale.

The programme for Government and the White Paper are being followed through and it is our intention to keep the Defence Forces as a priority item, as we always have done. There will be further elaboration by the Minister of State with responsibility for this area this evening but Fianna Fáil's Private Members' business calls for a reversal of elements of the White Paper, which would not be in the best interests of the Defence Forces.