Number of unfilled Defence Forces positions to rise, Oireachtas committee told 

The Oireachtas foreign affairs and defence committee heard of a rising number of unfilled positions across the Defence Forces amid fears that this will become more pronounced as the economy picks up after Covid-19.

There are growing fears that the number of unfilled positions in the Defence Forces will rise in the post-Covid era.

Personnel shortages have blighted the Naval Service in recent years, with the Army and Air Corps also reporting a "growing incidence of burnout" and departures.

The Oireachtas foreign affairs and defence committee has been told of an increasing number of unfilled positions across the Defence Forces and fears that this will become more pronounced as the economy picks up post-Covid-19.

Ger Guinan, general secretary of the representative body for enlisted personnel, PDForra, told the committee that in 2016 there were 44 vacant sergeant positions in the Army.

Staff shortages 'leading to burnout' 

“This has risen to 155 in 2021, with 267 vacancies across the whole organisation. Specialist technicians within the Air Corps are also in short supply, with significant shortfalls in personnel across a wide spectrum of specialities. This is feeding a growing incidence of burnout and departure from this branch of the service,” Mr Guinan said.

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Independent senator Gerard Craughwell said it was “just unbelievable” there are currently 650 vacancies for NCOs (non-commissioned officers) across the whole of the Defence Forces.

Mr Guinan pointed out that his association, which represents 6,500 enlisted personnel, was founded in 1990, following a significant period of turmoil surrounding pay and allowances, which forced many personnel to leave.

People 'cannot live on the wages' 

“Recent times have seen the Defence Forces encounter further difficulties with pay and allowances, resulting in another exodus of fine young men and women who could not sustain life within the Defence Forces, based on the rates of pay and allowances on offer,” Mr Guinan said.

Sinn Féin TD Sorca Clarke said she's aware of serving members of the Defence Forces taking part-time jobs just to pay the rent because their pay is so poor. They don't receive rent allowances.

Mr Guinan said the Government has been given ample warnings of the problem. 

"PDForra has, for years, advised our department [of Defence], military management, and public representatives that there was no elasticity in the system should a crisis arise. The net result is the inability of State ships to go to sea,” he said: 

In some instances vessels worth tens of millions of euro are idle for the lack of appropriately trained staff. 

Mr Guinan spoke of his association's ongoing battle to affiliate to the union umbrella organisation, ICTU, in an effort to get a voice for his members at national pay talks.

“In early 2020, prior to the general election, Leo Varadkar, then taoiseach, was reported in the Irish Examiner of February 1 as having said that PDForra should be permitted to affiliate to ICTU,” he said.

However, the Government has failed to allow this and Mr Guinan said it is “inconsistent with our obligations under the European Social Charter and in direct contravention of the recent recommendations of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, who have stated that bodies such as ours should be allowed to associate with umbrella groups.”