Our troops truly deserve much better - Living below the poverty line

The revelation that one in five members of our Defence Forces is living below the poverty line is a damning indictment of what we, as a nation, hold dear.

The plight of our hard-up troops has been revealed at the annual conference of PDForra, the association representing soldiers, sailors, and aircrew.

According to its general secretary, Gerry Rooney, 1,600 troops — representing 20% of enlisted personnel — are receiving social welfare in the form of the Family Income Supplement. A small but increasing number do not have the money to travel to and from work and are sleeping in their cars unable to afford the longer commutes resulting from the closure of army barracks.