Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

At the PDFORRA conference this year, it announced it was lodging a complaint with the European Committee of Social Rights. This has led to the legal action about which the Minister spoke. The European Committee of Social Rights found that the Government was in breach of Articles 5 and 6.2 of the European Social Charter. PDFORRA has repeatedly said that the reason it wants to affiliate to ICTU is not to put pickets on barracks or withdraw their services from the roof of the Houses of the Oireachtas; it is because it wants to be in the public sector pay talks. The reason for that is because it is the lowest paid section of the public sector.

In a recent article in The Journal, Tom Clonan stated:

The Defence Forces have reached the point where they are unable to service their mission to protect the state of Ireland, its territorial waters and airspace.

This abject state of affairs is a direct consequence of the cuts imposed on defence spending in Ireland [and of those being the lowest paid sector in the public service].

This is not being addressed.

See this speech in context