Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Members of the Defence Forces do not take to the streets lightly. The ONE campaign highlighted what can happen when retired members of the Defence Forces fall off the edge of society. We have let them down. Defence Forces veterans are to hold a national march in Cork on May Day to highlight the poor pay and conditions endured by serving members of the military. It will be the second national march organised by veterans, with a march having been held last September outside Leinster House. Members of our Defence Forces do not take such action lightly. They are very loyal to our State and are protectors of our sovereignty. For them to demonstrate in such a manner is a significant reaction. The level of pay of members of the Defence Forces and the way in which they are treated serves to push more and more of our veterans into abject and total poverty. The legacy of this Government should not be to leave the members of the Defence Forces demoralised, poor and at risk of falling off the edge. I acknowledge that the Minister of State hopes to address this issue, but money is now available which may not have been available in the past. We must address the cause of the workers, particularly low pay. Some are in receipt of the working family payment and finding it difficult to pay for accommodation. We must take seriously and address these issues for our Defence Forces. The Minister of State is making efforts but they must be accelerated.

See this speech in context