Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

I ask that an investigation be carried out and that the Minister come into this House to explain why the scheme has been closed after only three weeks.

PDFORRA is the representative association for the Army. These people, along with the Garda Síochána, provide security for the State. They put their lives at risk on security and peacekeeping duties abroad. The association gave a voluntary undertaking to the Minister that its members would not be involved in the 24-7 Alliance protests. However, the officers of PDFORRA were hauled in by the Minister in front of the Chief of Staff and officials from the Department of Defence and threatened that they would be put back in uniform and the association disbanded if they took part in any discussions with the 24-7 Alliance. We have been discussing social partnership but this is a fine example of social partnership from a Minister who has completely lost the run of himself. The association represents people of whom hundreds are on family income supplement and are probably the lowest paid in the public service. We have heard about protecting the livelihoods of people in the public service but it is only lip service. The lowest paid public servants cannot put up with any more cuts to their salary because many of them are already on family income supplement. It cannot be tolerated.