Sinn Féin councillor claims RDF to be slashed

Sinn Féin councillor Paul Hogan has claimed today that the Government will shortly announce plans to slash the Reserve Defence Forces. Cllr Hogan said the proposals are contained in the Government's 'Value for Money Review' of the RDF and will see the reserve army more than halved. Speaking after town councillors met with Junior Defence Minister Paul Kehoe last week, he said: ""After the meeting I learned that it is this Fine Gael and Labour Government's plan to reduce the Reserve Defence Force from 7,800 to 3,400 members in 2013. It is also their intention to eliminate their gratuity for training from next year, which covers fuel, meals and stationery." "This is devastating news again for the people of Athlone and sure to have an impact on Custume Barracks again and our local economy will also be affected. These moves are starting to take the appearance of death by 1,000 cuts," said Cllr Hogan. "It is time that Government voices are heard locally to stop any further downgrading. I am deeply concerned at the document I have read which states that this cut is at the discretion of the Government politicians. This is a scandalous insertion and needs to be clarified without delay. "This Government needs to be held accountable for the decisions they are making. They also need to be transparent and answerable to the people. This isn't happening. When you have a Government that refuses to meet with the elected members of a Local Authority, it displays utter contempt for accountability, democracy and transparency."