Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Leader will say I am like a broken record when it comes to the Defence Forces, but I have gained information this morning that adjudications provided for increases in income for specialists in the Defence Forces such as chefs and members of the ranger wing, among various other specialists, but the Department has decided that, while it will pay the increases from 1 October, it will not backdate them. A considerable amount of money is involved and it is not good enough that, following a process, adjudications have been overturned by departmental officials. It has resulted in PDFORRA initiating a High Court action to get what is due under the adjudications. What is it about this country that every time something like this comes up, we cannot resolve it without going to the courts, costing the country tens of thousands of euro to defend the indefensible? This morning I also found out that the wives and girlfriends of members of the Defence Forces had opened up a GoFundMe page because they said soldiers could not afford to live. It is embarrassing that they have to try to raise money for Christmas. I heard stories about children eating pasta and cereal for lunch and not having seen meat for several days. We have to get to the truth of the matter. I hope the Leader will support me. We need somebody from the welfare services to meet the families. I am prepared to go with them as we cannot allow this to continue. I hear about soldiers going for a run at lunchtime because they cannot afford to eat in the mess. This is not acceptable. We need to come together to resolve the issue.