Department to investigate claims soldiers sleeping in cars

The Department of Defence and senior military management are to be supplied with details to support claims some soldiers have been sleeping in their cars.

They will also be given evidence to show others had to mix and match uniforms in order to look presentable performing ceremonial duties at the State funeral of former taoiseach Albert Reynolds last month.

Both issues were raised this week at the annual conference of the association representing soldiers, airmen and seamen, Pdforra.

However, both Minister for Defence Simon Coveney and Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieut Gen Conor O'Boyle said neither matter had ever been raised with them before. The details of the cases known to Pdforra will now be forwarded to the Defence Forces forum, at which senior military management and the Department are represented.

It is hoped those members sleeping in cars may be transferred to barracks closer to their homes in a move that would greatly reduced expensive weekly fuel bills. And sources within the Defence Forces said the distribution of new uniforms would be examined to see if there were shortcomings with current arrangements.

When the issues arose at the Pdforra conference in Sligo this week, Mr Coveney insisted there was no issue around the availability of Defence Forces uniforms. He added there may have been particular problems at the funeral of Mr Reynolds last month simply because those performing the guard of honour had been called in at very short notice, but he had no definite knowledge of that.

He was uncomfortable at hearing about personnel sleeping their cars, and said anyone who found themselves in that position would be assisted with accommodation and meals in their barracks if they made their problem known to their senior officers.

Lieut Gen O'Boyle insisted the supply of uniforms were plentiful and said he would not see any of the men and women under his charge sleeping in their cars. Pdforra general secretary, Gerry Rooney told the conference the small number of personnel sleeping in their cars had been badly impacted by cuts in pay and higher taxes and on occasion had simply run out of money.

Because of this, if they lived far from the barracks where they were based, they opted to save on their fuel bill by sleeping in their cars overnight rather than driving home in the evening and back again the following morning.

At the closing session of the conference this afternoon, Mr Rooney confirmed the details of the cases they have raised would be passed to the Defence Forces forum.

However, he said the names of those sleeping in their cars would not be publicised in order to respect the privacy of those involved.