Defence personnel increasingly seeking welfare support, conference told

Privates and corporals in the permanent defence forces who signed up after 1994 are to be let go in 2015 “in a nightmare situation” for them and their families, PDFORRA has claimed.

The organisation which represents enlisted personnel also claimed increasing numbers of serving men and women are seeking social welfare supports such as Family Income Supplement, in order to meet household bills.

According to the organisation rates of pay in the permanent defence forces have fallen by about 20 percent over the last four years, while barrack closures and shortages of naval personnel in particular were all contributing to pressure on the personnel.

Speaking at PDFORRA’s annual conference in Wexford this afternoon general secretary Gerry Rooney said three out of four ships recently deployed on sailing orders by the Naval Service, “were rendered non-operational due to maintenance or engineering failures”.

He said the sea- shore rotation for some engine room operatives was now in excess of two years at sea to nine months ashore. At-shore personnel can still be called on to provide relief at sea, he said. Staff numbers for artificer class operatives in the engine rooms were at less than 50 per cent, he said.

Mr Rooney also accused the Government and the Minister for Defence Alan Shatter of governing “by diktat” in withdrawing the families’ medical service in the Curragh, Co Kildare. He said PDFORRA was only notified of the withdrawal of the service last week, and was informed Mr Shatter “had already signed off on the change”.

Mr Rooney recalled closures of army barracks in Donegal, Longford, Cavan, Clonmel and Mullingar and the Government’s “wilful breach” of the Croke Park Agreement.

He said defence spending now stood at just 0.6 percent of GDP one of the lowest rates in the EU and the proposal to make redundant those who had given up to 21 years “loyal and dedicated service” was an insult.

The personnel “frankly deserve better “ and the prospect was of “fit and well trained soldiers, sailors and aircrew being discharges “without any support whatsoever”, he said.