MINISTER FOR Defence Tony Killeen has warned members of the Defence Forces they will not be spared from planned expenditure cuts in the upcoming budget.
Mr Killeen told delegates at the annual conference of PDforra, the representative association for soldiers, aircrew and sailors, that the economic environment posed too many challenges to exempt any sectors of the public service.
“In managing the major contraction of the Irish economy the Government is required to take stringent measures, which impact on you, both as members of the Defence Forces and in your lives as citizens of the State.” He also told delegates it was now “entirely clear” next year would be a difficult period in which further “pruning” of public expenditure would be required.
However, the Government was committed to maintaining numbers in the Defence Forces at 10,000. While the current strength has fallen below that due to retirements and the recruitment ban, sanction had already been secured to recruit small numbers of personnel, including 42 Naval Service cadets.
Mr Killeen said similar programmes of targeted recruitment would continue. The Defence Forces experienced a relatively high staff turnover and its strength would be kept under close review with a view to maintaining numbers.
Reacting to calls from PDforra for some of its members, particularly those on low incomes, to be exempted from pay cuts, Mr Killeen said this may be “unattainable” in the current climate.
PDforra general secretary Gerry Rooney said many members of the Defence Forces were poorly paid, had suffered significant reductions in remuneration and were now concerned about the possibility of further pay cuts.
Many serving personnel had seen their pay reduced, via levies and pay cuts, by €5,000 on salaries of €35,000 to €41,000.
Because of the hardship being experienced by many in the Defence Forces, PDforra had applied for lower-paid personnel to be exempt from some of the cuts introduced across the public sector in 2009. In his conference speech, Mr Rooney said this application to the Department of Finance should be given serious consideration.
The cumulative impact of measures that reduced take-home pay for his members meant more of them than ever were eligible for social welfare payments.
“This is a sign of the financial hardship being experienced by many of our members, particularly so in the case of those struggling to raise families.”
Mr Rooney said PDforra also wanted a range of new measures for personnel who joined the Defence Forces after 1994, after which time much shorter contracts of work were offered to new entrants.
He said under the terms of employment introduced in 1994, many serving personnel will leave the Defence Forces after 21 years service, or in the next five years.
PDforra wanted to see a system of best-practice accreditation of the skills of all of those leaving military life. It also called on Mr Killeen to introduce experts who would help departing personnel source civilian jobs and prepare them to enter the civilian workforce. It also wanted a monetary resettlement package for those compulsorily discharged after 21 years.
Mr Killeen said PDforra had an excellent record of representing its members and he believed they would be successful in some of their campaigns.