Editing Defence Forces (Ireland) (section)

==Representative associations==
The interests of members of the Defence Forces are represented by a number of representative associations, similar to [[trade union]]s (which Irish military personnel are banned from joining). [[Officer (armed forces)|Officers]] of the PDF are represented by the [[Representative Association of Commissioned Officers]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raco.ie/|title=Website of Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO)|author=LtCdr Phil Watson|access-date=23 December 2014|archive-date=24 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224035142/http://raco.ie/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Other ranks (UK)|Rank-and-file members]] of the PDF are represented by the [[Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association]] (PDFORRA), which is affiliated to the [[Irish Conference of Professional and Service Associations]] and to the European Organisation of Military Associations, [[EUROMIL]]. In 2009, members of PDFORRA took part in an [[Irish Congress of Trade Unions]] protest against the government's handling of the [[post-2008 Irish economic downturn]], at which time the [[Department of Defence (Ireland)|Department of Defence]] warned that Defence Forces members could not take part in or sponsor any "public agitation", and that PDFORRA had "no express permission" for members to take part in the protests.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=IRELAND-qqqm=news-qqqid=39783-qqqx=1.asp|title=Talks under way to avert strikes|date=22 February 2009|access-date=23 February 2009|work=[[The Sunday Business Post]]}}</ref> All ranks of the RDF are represented by the [[Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association]] (RDFRA).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.rdfra.ie |title= Website of Reserve Defence Force Representative Associations |access-date= 24 December 2014 |archive-date= 18 December 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141218034313/http://rdfra.ie/ |url-status= live }}</ref>

Complaints concerning and made by serving and former members of the Defence Forces can be investigated by the independent [[Ombudsman for the Defence Forces|Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces]] (ODF), in cases where internal grievance procedures within the DF have been exhausted.<ref>{{cite web|title=Role and Function of The Ombudsman|url=http://www.odf.ie/aboutus/|publisher=Ombudsman for the Defence Forces|access-date=5 May 2016|archive-date=2 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202140746/http://odf.ie/aboutus/|url-status=live}}</ref>