Over 120 Defence Forces members forced to rely on benefits due to low pay

More than 120 people working for the Defence Forces are on such low pay they have to rely on benefits to make ends meet.

According to the Department of Welfare, 124 people working in the Defence Forces receive the Working Family Payment.

Of these, 54 are public servants employed by the Defence Forces and the balance - 70 - are described as ‘army, navy or Air Corps personnel’.

The president of the Defence Forces representative body Pdforra Mark Keane said last night: “One member of the forces on the Working Family Payment is too many.

“But the fact that there are more than 120 on it speaks volumes.

“It’s absolutely ludicrous that one arm of the State is paying our members, while another arm of the State is used to supplement those wages.

“It is just another illustration that our members are not being paid sufficiently.”

While the figures stand at 124, you van be sure there are probably as many again - if not more - who simply don’t qualify because they fall outside the net by a few Euro.

“Why the government just doesn’t pay our members a decent wage in the first place is just ridiculous.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Welfare said: “The Department regards the Working Family Payment as being a very useful financial support specially aimed for working families.”

Up to June this year, there were just over 52,000 low-income families with at least one child in receipt of the WFP.

They received an average tax-free payment of around €135-a-week.

Members of the Defence Forces who receive it can also be eligible for other benefits.

Some of them have said in the past they are living in ‘poverty’ and claim many are paid less than the minimum wage.

They have also said they are forced to top their wages up with benefits and sleep in their cars to save petrol.

Others couch surf in friends’ flats to also avoid a daily commute to work because they can’t afford the cost of fuel.

And they say they are so sick and tired of the poor pay and treatment that ‘many’ are now just leaving or about to leave the Defence Forces.

A number are now also opting for jobs stacking shelves and working behind a till in supermarkets rather than be part of the country’s Defence Forces.

Earlier this year, two soldiers recently landed jobs in the supermarket chain ALDI.

And those who don’t leave, are helping make ends meet by taking on a second job as, for example, taxi drivers or bouncers.

The Department of Defence agreed last November to pay financial compensation and provide extra days leave to soldiers after it was alleged they worked excessive hours which breached the EU Working Time Directive (WTD).

A Department of Defence spokesperson told the Irish Examiner:“Working Family Payment (WFP) is a payment which is available across all sectors of society. Eligibility for payment is determined by average weekly family income and family size.

“The net assessable earnings are calculated after deducting tax, PRSI and USC.

“The payment is available to support families in particular financial situations.

“Salaries in the Defence Forces and the broader public service are based on job requirements and not individual family circumstances.”