THE GOVERNMENT needs to significantly increase its expenditure on equipment and personnel for the Defence Forces if Ireland is to honour its commitments to international peacekeeping, according to Pdforra, the representative association of soldiers, sailors and aircrew.
Pdforra president Willie Webb has called for a radical investment programme in military equipment, including heavy transport aircraft that could be used for overseas deployments and humanitarian airlifts.
He said aircraft chartered recently to bring troops to Chad were so small that troops had strict weight restrictions imposed on their luggage.
Soldiers travelling to a hostile environment for four months were forced to leave belongings in Ireland, creating "hardship".
"Larger, more appropriate aircraft should be chartered," Mr Webb said.
"Due to the number of missions our troops are involved in, serious consideration should be given to the purchase of large transporter planes to bring equipment and supplies to mission areas and resupply mission areas with food, water and equipment on a monthly basis."
He told delegates at Pdforra's annual conference in Westport, Co Mayo, that Ireland was committing some €900 million a year in aid to many developing nations.
He believed substantial savings could be made if the proposed military transport aircraft were used for humanitarian missions.
He also said extra personnel were needed to ensure the Defence Forces could meet international commitments.
While the Government was maintaining 300 personnel in training for a Defence Forces of 10,500, having 600 personnel in training would be more appropriate.
On Wednesday, Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea told the conference that Ireland was facing a "serious financial crisis".
He said all Government departments had been asked to make savings and that all must "share the pain" of next week's budget.
Both Mr Webb and Pdforra general secretary Gerry Rooney told delegates that they were concerned an agreed 5 per cent increase in overseas allowances, which are €23.58 per day for troops, had not yet been paid.
Mr O'Dea said he had spoken about this to Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan and hoped to be in a position to report favourably soon.
Mr Webb said Pdforra was "bitterly disappointed" that barrack closures had been proposed due to worsening economic conditions.
Mr O'Dea stopped short of confirming closures. However, he said at the conference that the property portfolio belonging to the Defence Forces was constantly under review and that any money realised from the sale of "surplus" properties would be reinvested in the Defence Forces.
The conference also heard members of the Defence Forces are being denied basic rights because they do not enjoy industrial relations representation which is equal to that of civilian workers.
Mr Rooney has urged Mr O'Dea to allow Pdforra to become a member of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu).
He said Pdforra's desire to join Ictu was not motivated by a plot to "subvert the State" or to engage in industrial action. It was seeking Ictu membership to be "better informed" and to have greater influence in Government decision making on labour legislation.
Mr Rooney said members of the Defence Forces were excluded from the Working Time Act, even though the European Court of Justice had ruled that armed forces could only be excluded in relation to "certain specific activities".
Members of the Defence Forces, while covered by the Parental Leave Act, were not entitled to access to rights commissioners, who resolve disputes regarding the application of the Act.
Mr Rooney said the Government should immediately amend the two pieces of legislation to fully include military personnel.
He said it should also agree to Pdforra becoming a member of Ictu so that such exclusions could not happen again.
