State urged to row back on cuts to military

The organisation which represents rank and file members of the Defence Forces is refusing to sign up to the Lansdowne Agreement on public service pay until the Government reverses its decision to cut the wages of new entrants to the military by 10%.

PDFORRA (Permanent Defence Forces Other Ranks’ Representative Association) general secretary Gerry Rooney said they were being discriminated against as the Government had rowed back on similar cuts to new recruits in the gardaí, fire brigade, and prison officers.

Mr Rooney described it as “completely unacceptable” that the Government was continuing to stick to its guns over the pay reduction within the Defence Forces when they had rowed back on cuts in other organisations.