I commend my colleague, Deputy Doherty, on bringing forward this motion. In recent months each and every one of my constituency offices, whether in Mullingar, Athlone or Longford, has seen a dramatic increase in people coming in with the dreaded letters from their mortgage providers announcing another increase or drain on their family's resources that they simply do not have the capacity to meet. Many of these people are those who got into difficulty after the last financial crash when the most they had experienced…

Will the Minister provide an update regarding the independent review group that is inquiring into the allegations made by Women of Honour?

The Minister said this report will be given to him "later in the week". It is Thursday. Is there a specific day for when this report will be provided? At the time Fianna Fáil voted against the Sinn Féin motion for a statutory independent inquiry, we were told that speed was of the essence. I put it to the Minister that the Government gave a commitment to completing this report within a year, on that basis of speed. It has broken that commitment. It is now more than a year and there is still no sign of this report. …

Why then give the commitment of within a year?

The vast majority of people who serve in our Defence Forces are good people, even though there are those who have had horrendous and horrific experiences. The failure to publish this report in the timeframe that was given by the Government is a very poor reflection. When the Minister was in Lebanon he was quoted as saying it was his intention to make sure that the recommendations contained in the report are fulfilled. Does that include taking actions in addition to the recommendations already included in the high-l…

I apologise. Things moved a little quicker than expected. The number of new recruits to, and discharges from, the Defence Forces has been repeatedly mentioned in this House over the past ten to 15 years. I ask the Minister to outline what is the tipping point where he and the Department review all the efforts to date regarding retention and recruitment. Will they have an honest review that will state this is not working and we need to try something different?

Question No. 8

We have heard that various industries, from the pharmaceutical industry to the air industry to security companies to logistics companies, are head-hunting people out of the Naval Service. What we do not hear, and certainly what we do not see, is a corresponding intensity from the Government to be able to counter these challenges because they are very real. Earlier when responding to Deputy Howlin the Tánaiste mentioned the LÉ Niamh . What he failed to mention is that the LÉ Niamh will be placed into operational res…

They are being mothballed. Once they are delivered to Ireland a plan will be developed to achieve initial operating capability for two inshore patrol vessels coming from New Zealand. I have to put it to the Tánaiste that waiting until we are looking at another two ships being mothballed and unable to put staff on them is not a coherent plan. It is not any form of a plan. The staffing arrangements for existing vessels, and any new one, need to be something on which the Department and the Tánaiste are focused on now.

Clearly you are not. You are still-----

No-----

There was no criticism. You have assets but you are failing to invest in the-----

It is still below most European countries.

You are failing to mention the allowances. Until conditions are better-----

What the Tánaiste failed to mention is that while the pay may be slightly increased, the allowances and conditions are not being increased in line with comparable countries' defence forces or militaries. This is a fact. The Tánaiste can go and look it up if he needs to but it is a fact. We are haemorrhaging a level of skill from the Defence Forces, particularly the Naval Service which the Tánaiste mentioned, and losing a knowledge base that will take a significant period of time to replace. Nobody coming in the doo…

It was not dismissed.

It is not on the legislative schedule.

Could I ask a brief question?

That will do. There is an issue with the pandemic bonus being paid to retired members of the Defence Forces. I spoke to one medic who had carried out his duties in vaccination centres and swab testing centres who retired during the Covid pandemic. He has yet to receive the bonus. I would appreciate if the Minister could come back to me with what the plan is to address this. The Defence Forces cannot process it as he is no longer on their payroll.

In the past two days, the Taoiseach's position on the unlawful charging of citizens and their families in nursing homes has gone from one of utter denial to one of admitting that he may have been briefed. Nobody will be surprised at this because this is the modus operandi of the Government. It denies that it happened then admits that it did happen but downplays the significance, then finally it admits the significance but urges everybody to move along. The Tánaiste and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and …