Sir, - Your article, written by your security correspondent, Jim Cusack (June 4th) says that there is strong opposition by some permanent defence force representative organisations to availing of highly qualified specialist reserve (FCA) personnel to fill short term shortages in the PDF overseas.
We are both retired, long-term, specialist FCA officers. Each of us, having served well over 40 years, can testify that many of our personnel are as qualified as our PDF counterparts to fulfil all the duties required. The FCA personnel come from all walks of life with diverse unique skills and expertise.
For the spokespersons of PDF representative bodies to refer to the use of highly qualified FCA personnel as "yellow packing" is not only insulting and demeaning, but it casts a shadow over the training of FCA by PDF cadres. Are these spokespersons suggesting that the only reason for the attachment of permanent defence training cadres is the financial allowances?
Practically every western country has a reliable reserve force, which is trained by and treated as an equal by their full time counterparts. In particular, the specialist troops are highly valued. We question why Ireland's reserve force should be the only exception to this proud tradition. We should like to emphasise that many of the personnel serving in the various other UNIFIL battalions are reservists. That is not the time for long out of date and destructive trade union "closed shop" tactics by PDF representative bodies.
J. H. Briscoe, Comdt., 11th Field Medical (Retired),
Harlech Downs,
Dublin 14. J. E. EGAN, Comdt., 11th Field Signals (Retired),
Shanard Road,
Dublin 9.