Quarter of Defence Forces members have served for five years or less
Raco highlighted that the Working Time Directive is being breached regularly in the Defence Forces. File Photo: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie
The newly established Commission on Defence has been told the exodus of highly-trained personnel from the Defence Forces has to be addressed once and for all because nearly a quarter of all operational personnel in the Army, Air Corps, and Naval Service have served for five years or fewer.
Both military representative associations — Raco (officers) and PDForra (enlisted personnel) — have told members of the new commission about grave staffing levels and the Defence Forces cannot afford yet another commission or review where recommendations are not acted upon.
In his submission, Raco general secretary Commandant Conor King told the commission about inexperience across the ranks, adding that currently, on average, 24% of all ranks have less than five years’ service and it is at 29% for officers.
“This has severe implications for governance and supervision and increases organisational risk,” Condt King said.
He said the solution to the staffing crisis was supposed to be the high-level implementation plan, “which has unfortunately been allowed to fail, through a lack of institutional and political will to resource it, and an absence of meaningful oversight”.
“Having eight of 15 projects still behind schedule 19 months into any project management process would be unacceptable at any time, but the fact that this is occurring in a Government plan supposedly sponsored and monitored by the Taoiseach’s Department, in the face of the well documented Defence Forces recruitment and retention crisis is unconscionable," he said.
Comdt King pointed out that the Defence Forces has undergone numerous separate commissions or reviews, over the past 30 years, most of which have resulted in a reduction in personnel numbers.
"Members [of Raco] note with a sense of dismay approaching resignation, the failure to progress key commitments in the White Paper on Defence 2015 and the Government high-level implementation plan,” Comdt King said.
Raco also highlighted that the Working Time Directive (WTD) is being breached regularly in the Defence Forces because there are simply not enough personnel to cover all the operational requirements placed on them.
They say it is not unusual for some officers to work 70 hours a week and many personnel do not get appropriate time in lieu.
“It's clear in the current environment, the Defence Forces cannot meet the requirements of the WTD and maintain its operational outputs.
"What is equally clear is that a failure to provide adequate rest and compensatory paid time off to military personnel is significantly impacting their home-life and the ability of many to maintain a career in the Defence Forces,” Comdt King told the commission members.
PDForra also came with a long list of issues it wants addressed. The association highlighted the stress caused to personnel by the current contractual terms, the impact of current poor pay structures, and the failure to provide non commissioned officers and senior non commissioned officers with appropriate career advancement opportunities.
