Cork parade to highlight ‘crisis’ in Defence Forces

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.

The Respect and Loyalty Parade will be held in Cork city centre on Saturday, May 4, and one of those attending it will be Cathal MacSwiney, grandson of both Cathal Brugha and Terence MacSwiney, who were two iconic leaders in the struggle for independence.

It will be the second parade organised by veterans and members of the lobby group WPDF (Wives & Partners of the Defence Forces). The first was held in Dublin last September.

Retired regimental sergeant major Noel O’Callaghan, who is at the forefront of the campaign, said the parade is being held in Cork in support of the Naval Service and troops at Collins Barracks “who are in real crisis”.

“Our Navy have nine ships, of which two are in dry dock due to shortage of sailors. To keep the other seven ships at sea they have to change around crews and have unqualified sailors in specific appointments,” the ex-senior NCO claimed.

“Instead of sorting out the pay, allowances, and contracts not fit for purpose, they (the Department of Defence) are buying another ship, a multi-role vessel for €200m.”

Mr O’Callaghan said the real Minster for Defence, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, is not alone responsible, he is also accountable for the crisis, rather than his junior, Paul Kehoe.

“On his watch he has let the department’s civil servants create a crisis for our Defence Forces, where their operational capability has been greatly affected,” he said.

Mr O’Callaghan said that 166 personnel of all ranks had bailed out before retirement in the first three months of this year, up on the comparable period for 2018.

“Retention is the key and the key to retention is providing our Defence Forces with wages, allowances, and contracts that give them and their family the same security and stability they give our citizens and our country,” he said.

The Defence Forces are the lowest paid of all public sector workers.

Mervyn Ennis, chairman of Defence Forces Ireland Military Family Forum, which is also heavily involved in organising the parade, said has written to all local and European election candidates in the area have been asked to attend the march.

Mr Ennis, who was previously a social working dealing with Defence Forces families, said some Defence Forces families live in poverty; suffer from food, income, fuel, and child poverty.

“Many of can only dream of owning their our home, and some are currently facing uncertainty about their homes, while others are facing homelessness,” Mr Ennis said. “The systemic poverty that the poor working conditions create is forcing members to leave in their droves.”

He pointed out that members of the Defence Forces are not allowed to speak in public, to bargain collectively, or to assemble for protest and so their position is being represented by their families and retired soldiers who have now come together under the Defence Forces Family Military Forum.

“The poverty and struggle they face is systemic in nature and one that can only be tackled by Government. There can be no more prevarication,” Mr Ennis said.

Serving members of the Defence Forces are prohibited from marching in such protests.

However, RACO, the organisation which represents the officer corps in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps, has given its blessing to the march which will start in Grand Parade at noon.