PDForra conference to debate pay, personnel, and retention concerns
Irish Defence Forces personnel. File Picture: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie
An association that was forced to hold covert meetings in its fledgling years when wrongfully suspected of subversion will today celebrate its 30th anniversary at the start of its three-day conference.
President Michael D Higgins has been invited to PDForra's annual conference in the INEC & Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney, in his capacity as Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces.
When PDForra was formed, some members were shadowed by military police who suspected they were infiltrated by subversives. Meetings were often booked at venues under the name of the 'Albatross Sporting and Social Club'.
Recollections of these early days of the association, which now represents 6,500 enlisted personnel, will be recalled at the conference by PDForra's first general secretary, Michael Martin.
The conference itself will be attended by more than 120 delegates who will debate 50 wide-ranging motions, many focusing on increased pay and allowances for Defence Forces members, who are the worst paid of all public servants.
There will also be strong calls on defence minister Simon Coveney and military management to stamp out harassment, bullying, and sexual discrimination across the organisation.
One of the other main issues to be debated will be PDForra's wish to be affiliated to the umbrella union body, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
Another significant motion will call "for the immediate rollback" on the removal of around 700 personnel when their contracts expire at the end of next year.
The 'post-94 contracts', as they are known, provided shorter terms of service for these personnel, many of whom are highly trained and fit enough to continue in their jobs.
Delegates will argue that the Defence Forces cannot afford to lose these people, as they are already 1,000 personnel short of their minimum number.
They are also to demand that the Department of Defence petitions the Departments of Justice and Foreign Affairs to have all resident non-nationals who serve in the Permanent Defence Forces for a period of at least five years granted citizenship free of charge.
Delegates are also expected to vote unanimously to demand the Department of Defence and military management axe a clause in the Sea-Going Commitment Scheme, which does not allow personnel with less than three years' experience to benefit from a €10,000 taxable bonus for committing to two years' sea patrols. This is being seen as discrimination against younger sailors, who tend to be the lowest-paid.
Amid the continuing exodus of personnel from across the Defence Forces, delegates are also expected to demand that the Department of Defence outlines what exactly is its policy for retention, if any.
It will be the first conference to be attended by Lieutenant General Sean Clancy in his new capacity as Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces. He will address delegates on Wednesday afternoon, along with Mr Coveney.
