60% of Defence Forces staff to quit in two years
Almost 60% of the Defence Forces personnel plan to quit within two years, a survey carried out as part of the Public Service Pay Commission report has revealed.
The Commission was presented with such damning testimony it concluded that the Defence Forces are at a “critical” point and within a “very short time” the military will face major difficulties fulfilling its role.
The survey, carried out among approximately a quarter of Defence Forces personnel by independent company Research Matters, revealed that 58% of them intended to quit military life within the next two years. If that happens, it will mean the loss of more than 1,100 personnel by 2021 which would be on top of compulsory retirements which will see hundreds more leave the Defence Forces.
In total 1,986 personnel across all ranks in the army, naval service, and air corps completed a questionnaire for the report and a further 139 took part in individual and focus group interviews.
Nearly 85% of respondents said that poor pay was the overriding issue, while 76% also complained about staffing shortages, and 60% felt there were better job opportunities elsewhere.
Nearly one in four officers signalling their intention to quit cited an excessive workload due to under-staffing as their main issue.
The survey said that while many serving members would have had older relatives in the Defence Forces, they themselves would not recommend the career to members of their own family.
The survey concludes that the Defence Forces are at “a critical juncture” and that “without immediate and substantial intervention, particularly in respect of pay, allowances, and pension entitlements, the organisation may, within a short time, face major difficulties in maintaining its personnel and in carrying out its mandate”.
Colonel Derek Priestly, deputy general secretary of Raco, which represents the country’s officer corps, said as far back as nine years ago it had been flagged that retention was a serious issue in the Defence Forces.
The Defence Forces minimum ‘establishment’ strength to carry out its operations is 10,500. The current figure stands at around 8,750.
“Since 2010 it has been well established by exit figures and various reports that the turnover rate in the Defence Forces is rising at an alarming and unsustainable rate,” Col Priestly said.
“No organisation that has to train and recruit from the bottom-up can possibly survive a annual turnover rate of 10%. Without tangible immediate action it will be some years before Defence Forces numbers will stabilise and many years before we reach our designed strength.”
