More than 100 firefighters, prison officers, gardaí, and Defence Forces personnel came together in Dublin to demand urgent government action over what they say is an unfair pension system impacting younger members of the uniformed services.
The rally took place on Tuesday, 27 January, at the O’Brien Institute in Marino, Dublin 3. Those attending warned that current pension arrangements could leave many personnel without adequate financial support for several years after reaching their statutory retirement age.
General Secretary of the Garda Representative Association, Ronan Slevin, said younger members of the uniformed services who were recruited after 2013 feel let down by the Government over its failure to deliver promised pension reform.
He said the current pension structure means those who joined since 2013 may face a significantly reduced income in the early years of retirement, before becoming eligible for their full pension at the age of 66.
Speakers at the rally highlighted the financial hardship experienced by personnel retiring after long and demanding careers. The event was supported by unions involved in the Secure Our Future campaign, including SIPTU, the Garda Representative Association, the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, the Association of Garda Superintendents, Fórsa, the Prison Officers Association and Defence Forces representative bodies PDFORRA and the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers.
Prison Officers Association spokesperson Karl Dalton said workers across the uniformed services had come together through the Secure Our Future campaign to highlight the issue. He said these roles are highly stressful and research shows they carry an increased risk of illness or disability. He added that it is unacceptable to expect young people to join these services without any certainty around their retirement security.
General Secretary of the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, Conor King, said supplementary pensions were originally introduced because of the demanding nature of uniformed service roles. He said duties such as night work, overseas service, operations at sea and in the air, and robust operational demands naturally limit the length of a person’s career, which is why early retirement is required.
He warned that a one size fits all approach to pension provision shows a lack of seriousness about maintaining operational capacity across the uniformed services, with implications for critical public services and State security.
SIPTU organiser Geoff McEvoy said commitments had been made to firefighters during the last general election that the issue would be addressed. He said members feel betrayed but remain hopeful that the new minister will clarify the Government’s position and provide reassurance on how the issue will be resolved.
