The Government has been called out for its “hypocrisy” for calling on the public to recognise the work of the national services while at the same time not paying the defence forces members “a comparable wage”.

The association representing Defence Forces officers has given its backing to those organising a protest in Galway today aimed at highlighting poor pay and conditions being suffered by soldiers, sailors, and aircrews.

The Government has been accused of running down the Defence Forces to such an extent that if there was a major security crisis, the country has been left “woefully unprepared, dramatically undefended, and shamefully exposed.”

Retired Lieut Col Dan Harvey said the Defence Forces is "broken" and "in crisis" with "morale at an all-time low," because they are "overlooked and undervalued, overworked, underpaid, over-stretched and undermanned."

The Respect and Loyalty Parade is the second such march organised by veterans and members of the lobby group WPDF (Wives & Partners of the Defence Forces).

The Minister for Defence promises that pay and retention issues in the defence forces will be addressed in the coming weeks.

The organisers of a parade are hoping thousands of people will join it in Cork to highlight the poor pay and conditions being endured by members of the Defence Forces.

Defence Forces veterans are set to hold a national march in Cork on May Day to highlight poor pay and conditions endured by serving members of the military.

While many former soldiers took to the streets of Dublin to highlight the dire pay and conditions endured by their serving compatriots, one man took it upon himself to show solidarity by holding his own march 11,600km away.

Defence Forces veterans are to march on the Dáil to demand the Government respect the loyalty of servicemen and women, and pay them appropriately.

Some members of the Defence Forces rely on social welfare payments to support their family, as their pay is “so low”.

The partners of Defence Forces members are holding a 24-hour vigil outside Leinster House.

An organisation set up to lobby for better pay and conditions in the Defence Forces is to hold a 24-hour protest outside the Dáil to highlight how army, navy, and air corps personnel get less than €20 for doing 24-hour security duties at military installations.

An organisation formed specifically to improve pay and conditions for members of the Defence Forces is planning a major protest march on the Dáil.

They say they are the only public sector workers without access to the Labour Court.

A newly-formed organisation is planning a series of nationwide protests outside constituency offices of government TDs to highlight the poor pay and conditions being endured by frontline members of the Defence Forces.