Defence Forces complaints include buying own gear and waiting on officers
Defence Forces recruits are being told to buy their own running shoes and boot polish and some officers demand to be waited on hand and foot.
These were some of the complaints made by PDForra members on the closing day of their annual conference being held in Tullow, Co Carlow.
Some delegates said it was “embarrassing” the way new recruits were being treated, especially as they were poorly paid. They also pointed out that they are also being provided with substandard kit.
It has being claimed some officers still expect their subordinates to be there to wait on them hand and foot.
Naval Service personnel were furious that some officers still demand to be served their meals instead of helping themselves like everybody else and they want the Department of Defence to ban the practise.
Some soldiers also said there were Army officers who expected to have their rooms cleaned by enlisted personnel.
One delegate said some officers thought they were “living in the era of the British Raj” where they had servants to pamper them. Loud applause followed after the delegate had finished speaking.
The conference heard Emergency Aeromedical Service (EAS) crewmen who are qualified emergency medical technicians are not getting the allowances they should be entitled to.
More than four years ago military management took a decision to not to pay the allowance for these personnel. As a result a number of them have left the service and more have signalled that they are leaving.
Delegates said they fear that the manpower crisis will ground the EAS operation based in Athlone which primarily provides nationwide cover for emergency medical cases.
PDForra deputy general secretary Martin Bright claimed military management wasn't addressing failings in the 'Redress of Wrongs' scheme.
This is a military-specific scheme which can be used as a complaints mechanism by personnel who think they have been unfairly treated.
Mr Bright said there had been an increasing number of frustrated PDForra members complaining about the process.
He said some commanders were refusing to aid the process and others were deliberately delaying it.
“I have some experience in this myself. I have been through the process and it took years. Believe me it affects you personally.
"You begin to doubt yourself and you question yourself am I doing the right thing. Should I just withdraw and take the pressure off myself,” he said.
Mr Bright said it was “alarmingly obvious that this system has failed” and he won unanimous backing from delegates to get the Department of Defence and military management to make it fit for purpose.
Meanwhile, Minister with responsibility for Defence, Paul Kehoe, told the Irish Examiner he regretted that three Naval Service personnel were refused permission to attend the conference.
Military management were told several weeks in advance of the conference that the men would be delegates attending.
However, management refused to release them, which caused outrage in the ranks of PDForra.
