Louth's Fitzpatrick calls for Government action on Defence Forces pay and conditions

Speaking in the Dáil yesterday, Louth Independent TD Peter Fitzpatrick called for urgent action on Defence Forces pay and conditions.

In his Dáil contribution, Deputy Fitzpatrick first expressed his concern over the news that, "some 130 members of the Defence Forces were unable to return home on Thursday as scheduled after a tour of duty in the Golan Heights. They were scheduled to fly from Syria to Beruit and then on to Dublin."

Fitzpatrick went on to say, "this is an absolute disgrace. I am a former member of the 27th Battalion, and it seems to me that Army personnel are being treated as second class citizens.’

He continued, "Morale is at an all-time low. Numbers are at an all-time low. The Tánaiste is a former Minister of Defence, and I expect a lot more from this Government.

"Last Tuesday I read an article in a newspaper by an ex-officer of the 27th Battalion. The officer said that nobody joins the Army to get rich, but neither do they join the Army to qualify for family income support.’

Deputy Fitzpatrick called on the Government to, "please stop treating these people like second-class citizens. They can strike, but they do not want to strike.

"An Garda Síochána went on strike in the last number of years. Are we going to force the Irish Army to go out on strike? Members of the Army sacrifice their time, as do their families."

Finishing his speech the local TD stated, "it is about time the Government sorted out the Army once and for all.’

In response to Deputy Fitzpatrick, the Tánaiste replied:

"The Deputy has raised two issues. With regard to bringing home the contingent from the Golan Heights, there was an issue between the UN and the Lebanese authorities that resulted in their plane having to be rescheduled because permission to land was not given because of a miscommunication somewhere.

"That is as much as I can say about it. We are looking to get that fixed quickly so people can come home to their families."

Minister Coveney also noted that:

"On the second issue, we are considering how we can improve the remuneration of Defence Forces personnel.

"We have asked the Public Sector Pay Commission to look specifically at the Defence Forces so that we can do so without undermining the broader pay agreements we have. We hope to be able to get those recommendations shortly.’