The former deputy commander of the elite Irish special forces says the Minister with responsibility for Defence and his senior civil servants should resign because they are running the country's military into the ground.

The head of a military representative association has described as “disgraceful” the failure to pay many young recruits to the Defence Forces for several weeks their pay and allowances.

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.