Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The former head social worker for the Defence Forces stated he was ignored repeatedly when he warned Department officials about the increasing poverty levels being endured by serving military personnel. Mr. Mervyn Ennis, who was head social worker, stated it was obvious to everybody how serious this situation was. The two schools at the Curragh have been classified as DEIS schools by the Department of Education and Skills, as they were deemed to be in serious areas of economic disadvantage. There is a very high concentration of children coming from military families at those schools. Mr. Ennis said that one chap who was a senior NCO was sleeping in a car. He said another lad was sleeping in a barracks and could not get access to his children because they could not come in there. This man was referred to a homeless unit. Mr. Ennis has said that others did not have money for food, and that the chaplaincy knew this too and was saying so. He says he was told by a Department official, "at least they have a job." He says the Department simply does not care and that because the issues are constantly being ignored, morale in the Defence Forces is at an all-time low and is getting lower each day. He says that is why the lads are voting with their feet. It is a shameful account, as is the attitude of the Department. The Minister of State needs to clarify how he feels about those remarks, over which he is presiding.

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