FF's Jack Chambers: Defence ‘out of touch’ with retention crisis

By Sean O’Riordan, Defence Correspondent

The Department of Defence is “out of touch with the retention crisis” in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps, it has been claimed, as a leaked military report shows it is failing to achieve the number, or calibre, of new recruits needed to fill gaps.

Fianna Fáil spokesperson on defence, Jack Chambers, said the classified draft report, details of which were published yesterday by the Irish Examiner, had highlighted the diminishing quality of recruits and was “adding to the growing crisis” within the Defence Forces.

Deputy Chambers has also obtained figures that confirm the numbers serving in the permanent Defence Forces have continued to drop.

By the end of May last, there were 9,010 personnel, while there were 9,044 on the same date 12 months previously. That’s still short of the 9,500 minimum requirement for the Defence Forces to be fully functional.

Despite the fact that the Defence Forces has an approved, establishment strength of 9,500, over the last five years it has never even come close to achieving that target,” Mr Chambers said.

“Since 2015, over 2,000 recruits have been taken on, yet numbers have continued to fall. Indeed, they are down 270 since then. It is absolutely clear that the substantive issue here is retention,” he added.

Many experienced soldiers, sailors, and aircrews have left for better-paid jobs in the private sector.

The Defence Forces are reportedly the poorest-paid in the public sector.

In contrast, An Garda Siochana has secured 2,000 recruits since 2014, which resulted in a net increase of 600 in their overall strength, Mr Chambers said.

Some members of the Defence Forces left to join the gardaí, due to better pay, allowances, and conditions.

“It was revealed, earlier this year, that HR within the Defence Forces conducted a survey of 167 personnel, who paid to leave the Defence Forces early.

Findings revealed the vast majority departed for better pay and conditions elsewhere.

“When members feel compelled to pay to leave, there can be no denial that there is a crisis in retention,” Mr Chambers said.

The exit survey showed that at least one person was so anxious to get out, they paid €10,000.

The classified draft report, which was compiled to give senior commanders a snapshot of recruitment, focussed on one recruit class.

It concluded that some of the recruits had severe learning difficulties, others were extremely unfit, and one had been arrested numerous times by gardaí.

It also called into question the lack of a proper vetting service.

Mr Chambers said there should be no lowering of the standard of people joining the Defence Forces, which were known worldwide for their expertise, especially on peacekeeping duties with the United Nations.

Mr Chambers also said that if there was a lowering of standards, it would prompt even more highly trained personnel choosing to bail out for jobs in the private sector.

Mr Chambers said that the Minister of State for Defence, Paul Kehoe, and his officials should explain why there is a continuing review of psychometric (intelligence) tests for recruits, amid fears that they may be dumbed down.

Increased recruitment was brought in by the department in an attempt to address the exodus of personnel.

However, both PDFORRA, which represents enlisted men, and RACO, which represents officers, have consistently said that the department should focus more on retaining personnel.

Defence Forces bosses have written to the Department of Defence, calling for the establishment of an independent pay review board, similar to the one in Britain.