Military personnel should be added to vaccine priority list, RACO says

The Representative Association for Commissioned Officers (RACO) wants prioritisation to be given, in particular, to Defence Forces personnel deployed on operations in support of the HSE and those operating in close quarters or crowded work environments such as on ships, aircraft and in prisons.

The association representing the country's military officers wants key personnel prioritised for Covid-19 vaccinations to protect the Defence Forces from suffering a further decline in numbers due to illness.

The Representative Association for Commissioned Officers (RACO) wants prioritisation to be given, in particular, to Defence Forces personnel deployed on operations in support of the HSE and those operating in close quarters or crowded work environments such as on ships, aircraft and in prisons.

To date, only 50 Covid-facing Defence Forces personnel have received both vaccine doses, with a further 100 having received single doses.

Vaccination of our personnel who are deploying overseas is a must. It is unclear whether they will be able to receive the vaccine in the mission area, and we want to eliminate any risk of exporting Covid-19 to vulnerable populations

Defence Forces personnel are now working side by side with frontline HSE colleagues, such as ambulance crews, and conducting swabbing, vaccinating, working in residential care homes, and transporting Covid-19 patients.

Two Naval Service ships were recently stopped going to sea because of Covid-19 outbreaks among their crews.

RACO general secretary Commandant Conor King said his association is also calling for vaccination priority to be given to troops before deploying on overseas peace-keeping missions.

“Vaccination of our personnel who are deploying overseas is a must. It is unclear whether they will be able to receive the vaccine in the mission area, and we want to eliminate any risk of exporting Covid-19 to vulnerable populations,” Comdt King said.

“Furthermore, it will obviate the requirement for an extra two-week quarantine period away from loved ones prior to departure, thereby raising morale and encouraging retention and volunteer intent,” Comdt King said.

He pointed out that the failure to retain suitably qualified and experienced personnel across the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps, and declining numbers in the Reserves, could be further compounded by Covid-19 if vaccinations aren't prioritised, particularly for some personnel.

"We are calling on government and the HSE to consider our people who are involved in Covid-facing operations in support of the HSE, those who are operating in close quarters or crowded work environments such as on ships, aircraft or in prisons, and those who are about to deploy overseas, for vaccination prioritisation as appropriate when the roll-out of the vaccination programme steps up,” he said.

There are concerns that Covid-19 outbreaks and declining numbers of certain specialist military personnel could lead to ships being unable to carry out patrols. He said further pressure could be heaped on the whole Defence Forces structure when the government implements the long-overdue mandatory health and safety provisions of the Working Time Directive, which will limit the hours legally available to carry out Defence Forces roles.

RACO has highlighted that many junior officers are working well in advance of the legal limits, and are "double and treble jobbing" to plug gaps which have been caused by the exodus of highly-experienced and highly-trained personnel for better-paid private and public sector jobs.