Hear, hear.

It is an anniversary that should be commemorated and celebrated. Senators McFadden, Leyden, Craughwell and Burke raised the matter of the Defence Forces in the context of comments this morning from retired Commandant Cathal Berry. All of us agree on the need for the members of the Defence Forces to be treated fairly and that is why the Government set up the Public Service Pay Commission, and public servants under the national public service agreement are receiving pay restoration. It is important the public sector stability agreement is recognised as bringing pay increases from 6.2% to 7.4%, and we are restoring financial emergency measures in the public interest cuts for those earning under €70,000. An independent pay commission is examining the pay and conditions of the Defence Forces and the report will be published in the next few weeks.

That will be after the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform gets it.

If the Senator does not want me to say anything, I will not do so.

Why did the Department get it first?

The Senator made an inflammatory remark about the report being doctored a moment ago.

I said the Department had it first and asked why that was the case.

The Senator said it was doctored as well.

I asked if it was.

Please, Senator Craughwell.

Fair play to the Senator. He is a good man to come in here to speak. I know he was nominated by the nominating body on the labour panel and I appreciate that. The Minister of State will have the report and will publish it, as he has always done with reports.

In fairness, he has it.

I am not aware that he has it. To be fair, the Minister of State with responsibility for defence has come to this House on a regular basis. The remarks from retired Commandant Berry this morning noted the Minister of State's approachability and decency in his job. All of us recognise the value of our Defence Forces and that is why many Members on our side of the House, and Senator McFadden in particular, have advocated on behalf of the members of the Defence Forces. I come from Cork, which has a very fine tradition of members of the Defence Forces serving the people of Cork.

Who is listening?

We have seen an increase in pay under the different public sector pay agreements and the restoration of pay relating to the financial emergency measures in the public interest legislation. The independent pay commission report is imminent and I can give a commitment, as I have always done with Senators Craughwell and McFadden when they raised this issue, that I will invite the Minister of State here. I will do so again and we can have a debate. We all understand and value members of our Defence Forces.

At one penny an arm.

The report was leaked last week and the raise will be 96 cent per day.

We cannot prolong the debate. The Leader has responded and given a commitment that there will be a debate. The content of these interruptions would be more appropriate during that debate.