The Minister for Defence, Mr O'Dea, has said he has no plans to close more Army barracks or to sell off land attached to them.
He also indicated he was likely to take a strong line on requests from PDFORRA to relax the rule which says soldiers failing to win promotion above the rank of private after service of 12 years would be let go by the Army.
When the new fixed-term contracts arrangement was introduced in 1994, it was done with the agreement of PDFORRA, Mr O'Dea said.
"There were very good reasons for doing that, such as reducing the age profile, encouraging advancement and so on. I am surprised that this has arisen in the past few years. I've clearly seen documents that have told me this was introduced by agreement."
In his first public engagement since assuming the defence portfolio, Mr O'Dea told PDFORRA's annual conference in Co Donegal, he did not intend to undertake any more reorganisation of the Defence Forces. It was "time to pause for a while and reflect".
"It is my desire that we continue to make substantial investment in new equipment and infrastructure in 2005 and beyond. In July, my predecessor approved the proposals of the Implementation Board on the Reorganisation of the Reserves . I see this as the final piece of Defence Forces' reorganisation."
He was determined that during his time as Minister the issue of bullying and harassment would continue to be fought.
Earlier in the conference, PDFORRA claimed 13 soldiers serving in Co Donegal had been informed their rolling two-year contracts may not be renewed because they were not fit to participate in training exercises.
It said this was unacceptable, and the men should be retained for "housekeeping duties", such as guard duty or radio control detail. It also said one of its representatives was bullied when he tried to intervene.
Lieut Gen Jim Sreenan said if personnel were "absent" or "missing" for between 100 and 200 days per year, it was "good management practice to inform them that this is not the way things should be".
If his "local managers" did not do so he would come down "hot and heavy" on them.
Mr O'Dea said if the men were discharged and PDFORRA was dissatisfied with the situation, they could use the industrial relations framework within the Defence Forces to appeal.
On the issue of bullying, he said the Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill, which went through its second reading in the Seanad on Wednesday, would provide personnel with an independent forum to appeal decisions or raise other grievances.
"It will be independent of the military, independent of me and independent of the Department. I think, basically, it would be very, very foolish if anything along the lines suggested were happening if any member of the military were minded to try and victimise a person just because they brought a complaint, I think they will have cause to hesitate now in the knowledge that there will be an independent, final court of appeal, as it were."