Defence Forces suffering ‘manpower shortage’

IRELAND will not be able to honour its commitments to serve in new EU battle groups because of a manpower shortage in the Defence Forces, it was claimed yesterday.

The association representing rank-and-file soldiers, airmen and sailors said Ireland would have to pull people out of existing overseas missions in order to serve in battle groups.

“We do not have enough funding to honour our commitments,” said Simon Devereux, deputy general secretary of PDFORRA.