Person: Conor King

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Members have said that the long time spent away from their families is not reflected in their remuneration.</p>

comment-analysis

Sean O’Riordan: When warning shots on the crisis in our military go unheeded

Officers are increasingly quitting the Defence Forces well before retirement age and a new survey lays bare the reasons for the exodus, writes Sean O’Riordan

<p>'Sources across the Defence Forces, and particularly the navy, have predicted that the exodus of staff is only going to get worse this year.' The LÉ James Joyce at Haulbowline, Cork. File picture: Larry Cummins</p>

comment-analysis

Sean O'Riordan: Defence Forces are sleepwalking towards a staffing crisis

comment-analysis

Cormac O'Keeffe: Irish Defence Forces will have to fight to realise this ambitious report

munster

Work begins on new garden in memory of heart angel Béibhinn

news

Officers warn Defence Forces decline 'becoming irreversible'

news

Decline of Defence Forces 'becoming irreversible'

More than 500 submissions made to Commission on Defence

More than 500 submissions have been made to the Commission on Defence which will make recommendations for change to resolve the current problems in the Defence Forces.

Wed, 14 Apr, 2021

Conor King: Manning up to our defence responsibility

The Irish Defence Forces have never been weaker, but a new commission provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform and modernise it, writes Conor King

Tue, 29 Dec, 2020

RACO says Defence Forces can't wait for pay commission

The association representing the country's military officers says the Defence Forces cannot wait more than a year for the completion of yet another report on its future and steps must be taken in the meantime to appoint an independent pay commission.

Thu, 18 Jun, 2020

Defence Forces officers have "lost faith" in government

The association representing Defence Forces officers says it has lost faith in the government's willingness to address the retention and recruitment crisis and declared the government's promise of a suite of reports to fix it as “a whitewash.”

Wed, 27 May, 2020

Sean O’Riordan: Country will be left paying the price if Defence Forces don’t get their dues

Drugs are flowing into the country as our borders can’t be properly patrolled. It is one of the myriad ways we are suffering due to the under-resourced Defence Forces, writes Defence Correspondent Sean O’Riordan

Mon, 24 Feb, 2020

Naval staff shortage may see ship tied up while Ireland ‘awash with drugs’

The Naval Service is so under-resourced that there are fears it won’t be able to combat maritime drug shipments while at the same time adequately patrolling EU fishery waters post-Brexit.

Sat, 15 Feb, 2020

Letter to the Editor: Some are forced to wait a decade for pension...

Since 2009, an agreement has been in place to pay all post-1995 military officers on full PRSI who are forcibly retired on age grounds at age 58 a supplementary pension (as long as the pensioner is not, before age 65, in insurable employment).

Mon, 27 Jan, 2020

'Concern' for Defence Forces as Govt fail to implement plans to bolster military

General Secretary of RACO, Commandant Conor King, said that even some short-term measures promised in the Government's 'High Level Implementation Plan' are "significantly behind schedule"

Fri, 27 Dec, 2019

Members of Defence Forces being recruited by public sector, representative group says

The association representing over 1,000 Defence Forces officers claims members are leaving because they are being sought out by other areas of the public sector.

Tue, 24 Sep, 2019

Defence Forces' officers vote to accept €10m package of increased allowances

The country's military officers have warned their patience is running thin and said if any other organisation had been treated as badly as the Defence Forces they would have taken industrial action by now.

Mon, 23 Sep, 2019

Defence Forces make progress in battle to implement Working Time Directive

Defence Forces representative associations are starting to win a battle over implementing the EU Working Time Directive in their ranks.

Fri, 30 Aug, 2019

Military officers likely to reject pay proposals

There is a strong likelihood the country’s military officers will reject the Public Service Pay Commission’s (PSPC) “paltry set of recommendations for increased allowances” unless the Government acts swiftly to address key issues highlighted by the association which represents them.

Fri, 09 Aug, 2019

Defence Force pay review to take place within three months

A pay review is to be undertaken in the next three months aimed at addressing the exodus of highly trained engineers and technicians in the Defence Forces, especially in the Naval Service.

Fri, 05 Jul, 2019

10% pay rise for Defence Forces

Small increases in some allowances are unlikely to stem the ongoing exodus from the Defence Forces, the association representing military officers has said.

Fri, 05 Jul, 2019

Defence Forces national executive meeting to consider fall-out from PSPC report

The two representative associations for the Defence Forces are set to have their national executive meeting within days to consider the fall-out from the Public Service Pay Commission (PSPC) report.

Thu, 04 Jul, 2019

1,400 members quit Defence Forces in last year

More than 1,400 officers and personnel have left the military in the past year, the vast majority of them voluntarily, according to the association representing defence forces officers.

Thu, 04 Jul, 2019

Families are 'living in abject poverty': Former commandant calls on Defence Minister to resign

The former deputy commander of the elite Irish special forces says the Minister with responsibility for Defence and his senior civil servants should resign because they are running the country's military into the ground.

Tue, 28 May, 2019

Recruitment policy ‘won’t help Defence Forces’

Moving to year-round recruitment won’t solve the ever-decreasing numbers in the Defence Forces and it’s being claimed it’s akin to “rearranging the deckchairs on a still sinking Titanic.”

Tue, 19 Mar, 2019

Reduced pension terms cited as 79% of Defence Forces; officers plan early 'exodus'

The Defence Forces are facing a mounting crisis in their officer ranks after a survey revealed 79% of those inducted since 2013 are planning to quit ahead of mandatory retirement, because they are on reduced pension terms compared to other public servants.

Tue, 12 Mar, 2019

Defence Forces officers feel ‘betrayed’

Officers in the Defence Forces feel betrayed by their employers, because military personnel were left out of “side deals” given to gardaí, prison officers, and firefighters as part of the latest Lansdowne Road pay agreements.

Wed, 01 Nov, 2017

Catchy Lass poised to strike again

The progressive Catchy Lass gets the nap to land the Dual Racing Sunday 17th August Handicap at Dundalk tonight.

Fri, 25 Apr, 2014

Inis Meain books Royal Ascot place

The Denis Hogan-trained Inis Meain, bought by Barry Connell as a hurdler, booked his ticket to Royal Ascot when landing the listed Martin Molony Stakes, feature of yesterday’s action in Limerick.

Mon, 06 May, 2013

Cap peaks as she makes breakthrough

Caponata, an impressive winner on her debut at the corresponding meeting last year, made her stakes-race breakthrough when landing the listed Victor McCalmont Memorial Stakes at Gowran Park yesterday.

Mon, 29 Apr, 2013

Indian Chief set for Dante date

Indian Chief emerged as the best prospect from last night’s Students Day action in Leopardstown, justifying odds-on favouritism in the Bulmers Live At Leopardstown Summer Racedays Maiden and being earmarked as a possible contender for the Dante Stakes in York.

Tue, 16 Apr, 2013