COUNTY Limerick politician Richard O’Donoghue expressed his apologies in the Dáil to members of the Defence Forces, saying that they have not been treated with fairness, even on pay and conditions, by the current and previous governments.
As the general secretary of the Independent Ireland party, Deputy O’Donoghue took the opportunity during a debate on Irish neutrality to commend everyone in the Defence Forces.
“I commend everyone in our army, and everyone who is a protector of Ireland,” he said.
“We have called out our forces to help us in times of crisis. One side of our forces gets treated well. Some had to bring their own sandwiches while the other part of our forces were given food and looked after. Their pay and living conditions while they are protecting us are not fair.”
Deputy O’Donoghue also took the view that the investment that needs to be put into the Defence Forces needs to be in the people first. Then, he maintained, it should be put into equipment that Ireland needs for its basic security that has not been updated in years.
“Article 5 of Bunreacht na hÉireann establishes that Ireland is a sovereign, independent, democratic State, while Article 6 sets out that all powers of government, legislative, executive and judicial, derive from the people. Under the Constitution, therefore, sovereignty is vested in the people and consulting us on matters of national interest is not only a legal imperative, it is the cornerstone of democracy,” he declared.
