Defence Forces win battle for dry-cleaning expenses

Around 7,500 enlisted members of the Defence Forces are to be reimbursed a collective €2.25m following a long-running battle to have the dry-cleaning of their uniforms recognised as a legitimate expense.

From now on enlisted personnel in the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service will be reimbursed €150 every year for the cost of cleaning their uniforms for ceremonial duties after a successful case was brought to the Revenue Commissioners.

PDforra, which represents the enlisted men and women, lodged the case in December 2014.

The issue was highlighted by the Irish Examiner last February when it emerged that members of the Defence Forces would find themselves out of pocket with the multitude of ceremonies they’d have to attend this year to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising.

PDforra claimed its members were spending nearly €3m a year on dry-cleaning, shoe polish, and other sundries necessary for their work, which was coming out of their own pockets. They argued these were legitimate expenses as under military regulations, Defence Forces personnel are required to have their uniforms in pristine condition. Having a dirty uniform on parade would lead to a caution or even a fine.

Prior to any ceremonial parades Defence Forces members might have to carry out three practice drills and they’d be expected to dry-clean their uniforms after each one.

Nurses, gardaí and prison officers have, for many years, received allowances to cover cleaning uniforms and PDforra thought it was unfair that its members were not getting the same entitlement. Military personnel in a number of other countries are also in receipt of a similar allowance.

PDforra deputy general secretary Ger Guinan said the Revenue Commissioners had agreed to backdate the uniform cleaning rebate to cover 2015 and that his members would be paid the rebate in the next couple of months. Mr Guinan said that up to now personnel also had to pay for boot polish out of their own pockets. It costs around €3 a tin and is likely to only last a couple of weeks. He said it was now his understanding that boot polish will be provided to servicemen and women by the Defence Forces.

Personnel also have to pay out of their own pockets to mount medals on a special bar which they attach to their uniforms. This costs about €50 a time and some can have up to 13 medals.

The Revenue Commissioners has only made the agreement to pay the allowance to enlisted men and not to officers.