The public is rightly and intensely proud of our Defence Forces. Irish soldiers have given their lives in the service of peace around the world, protecting some of the world’s most vulnerable citizens. Thousands of their families at home have endured the absence of a father or a mother during the long period of overseas service. Our Air Corps fly air ambulances and save hundreds of lives annually. The Naval Service patrols the equivalent of 220 million acres of sea, over 12 times the landmass of Ireland and 15% of total European fisheries. The navy has intercepted some of the largest drugs shipments in EU waters and is a vital component in Ireland’s war on organised crime and drug gangs.

Our Defence Forces, however, are in deep crisis. In particular, there is a recruitment and retention crisis. This week the Chief of Staff, not known for his outspokenness, sent a coded message to the Government when he said, “Some great people are making the choice to leave the organisation and the level and trend in the churn is a matter of concern for me”. The Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, RACO, president made the point more clearly when he said ships are unable to go sea, aircraft are not flying and units are operating below strength across the board.

The designated strength of the Defence Forces is 9,500 personnel. Its current strength is below that number by as much as 1,000. Already this year, there have been 558 discharges. The turnover rate referred to by the Chief of Staff is at 10.3%, which is devastating for our Defence Forces. That rate of turnover means that the Defence Forces will never return to full strength and will fall to 7,500 by 2030. The situation is so bad that even recruits in training are paying to get out of the services.

The Government is presiding over a situation where our Defence Forces personnel are the lowest-paid workers in the public service with some earning less than the minimum wage and up to 85% earning less than the average industrial wage. In view of the understrength numbers, the significant turnover rate, the large number of personnel, including new recruits, leaving the service, and the number of naval protection vessels out of commission due to the lack of personnel and the underspend in the Department of Defence, will the Government improve the pay conditions and allowances of the Defence Forces, including the immediate and full restoration of all cuts in pay allowances and services? Will the Government increase immediately the basic minimum hourly rate of pay to at least the living wage? Will the Government withdraw the tender for the €200 million multi-role warship to use that money to improve the pay, conditions and allowances of our personnel?

I join with Deputy Healy in recognising the debt that we owe to all those who work in the Defence Forces. Their work, particularly abroad, has made us all proud and contributed to Ireland’s international reputation. This must be acknowledged.

The Government has recognised that there are particular problems in the Defence Forces. This is why there was a comprehensive examination undertaken by the Public Service Pay Commission of the pay conditions in the Defence Forces. That work has been done. The commission’s report has been accepted by the Government and by RACO. That provides for a whole series of improvements in pay conditions in the Defence Forces. It has been accompanied by a detailed implementation plan, setting out how that will be done.

The Deputy will be aware of some of the changes such as the 10% increase in the military service allowance, immediate restoration of allowances to the pre-Haddington Road agreement level, the reinstatement of several allowances specific to the Defence Forces such as the security duty allowance, the patrol duty allowance, the Army Ranger Wing allowance, as well as payments to bomb disposal teams. There has also been a return to premium rates for weekend duties and the re-establishment of the service commitment scheme for Air Corps pilots. Another significant development that recognises the important role of the Defence Forces is the recognition that they need to be brought within the wider industrial relations framework. The Government welcomes the decision by the executive of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to accept in principle the application by the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association, PDFORRA, for associate membership. That is an important recognition of the role of the Defence Forces and will provide an outlet to ensure the concerns raised are adequately responded to. The Minister of State is working to facilitate that.

The Deputy raised the issue of particular moneys allocated for ships or underspend being allocated to pay. Unfortunately, that is not possible. We have a unified public pay policy that is negotiated and settled. It is not at the discretion of an individual Minister to take moneys which have been voted for one purpose and then to allocate them to pay increases. There is good reason for that. There must be a consistent public pay policy. At the same time, it must be able to deal with particular challenges. The Public Service Pay Commission report did address particular issues in the Defence Forces within a coherent pay policy. That mechanism has been used and will bring improvements.

Unfortunately, the Minister’s reply is a further exercise in the Government burying its head in the sand instead of dealing with this issue. That is certainly not the way forward. Tinkering at the edges will not solve this problem. The problem is so serious that Uachtarán na hÉireann, Michael D. Higgins, has felt the need to intervene publicly on this issue.

It is not in order to bring the statements of the President into debate in the House. It is a long-standing tradition that we do not.

The President brought them into the debate.

It is important to realise the serious nature of the crisis in our Defence Forces and the necessity for the Government to deal immediately with this issue. It is open to the Government to use an exceptional measure outside of any public service pay agreement to improve pay, conditions and allowances for serving members of the Defence Forces. On the basis of the Government’s lack of action on this issue in the past and the Minister’s response, I am strongly of the view that Defence Forces personnel should pursue full trade union status and recognition to ensure their pay, conditions of service and allowances are improved.

The Government is acutely aware of the needs in the Defence Forces. That is why the general pay round made provision for a 7% increase with particular emphasis on increases for the lower-paid. Above and beyond that, the Public Service Pay Commission examination was established, recognising the particular difficulties in the Defence Forces.

While I will not repeat them, significant changes have been introduced and they have been accepted by RACO. That provides the basis for moving forward in this area. As there is a detailed implementation plan, people know where they stand in terms of the delivery in this area.

The Deputy must be aware that the Minister for Finance and for Public Expenditure and Reform, when he comes here to the House in a couple of weeks' time, must balance all of the different issues such as the demands for additional pay, the demands for additional services, the pressure on infrastructure and the uncertainties we face internationally. The challenge the Minister faces is to balance those in an equitable way. In fairness, the Minister has sought to do that. He sought to have flexibility within those mechanisms to deal with issues, such as the Defence Forces. That is the basis on which to move forward. I hope we can use this agreement to advance the interests of the Defence Forces.