Army Wives And Families Are Protesting Outside Every Single Barracks In Ireland Today

The wives and partners of members of the Irish Defense Force are protesting in every single barracks in the country today in support of the soldiers.

Soldiers themselves are not allowed to strike or protest, so their families are picketing outside the barracks in a fight against low pay.

They are calling for restored levels of wages, full health-care and support for their families as claims arise of many soldier's families having to live off social welfare.

In a post on the Wives and Partners of the Defence Forces (WPDF) Facebook page today, one woman wrote that "every day I hear stories of military families on the breadline with massive debts and loan sharks at the door.

"When I can’t sleep at night worrying about whether or not we’ll make the mortgage on time this month, what bills are overdue or how much petrol can we afford to put in the car I keep telling myself, 'We’re lucky, there’s so many more worse off than us'."

Army wives seeking better pay for their DF partners. .@WPDF_2017 pic.twitter.com/vMftgPDLlA
— PeterMurtagh (@PeterMurtagh) April 20, 2017

PROTEST ...wives & partners of army personnel are protesting at Custume Barracks in Athlone & locations around the country . More @rtenews pic.twitter.com/jipz903B0m
— Ciaran Mullooly (@ciaranmullooly) April 20, 2017

A spokeswoman for the group said: "Families are losing homes due to repossession. Many members have missed payments on bills as a result of cuts so cannot access loans so money lenders are a reality...

"The Defence Forces was traditionally seen as a steady career but now members cannot even get a mortgage without proving that they will be signing on after their five year contract."