Military officers claim third-world countries have better accommodation than Ireland
The 'Irish Examiner' recently highlighted issues of dereliction at the Curragh camp.
A very experienced army officer has said the best military accommodation he stayed in was in a third-world country.
The officer told the Raco (Representative Association for Commissioned Officers) conference he'd been billeted in several Irish barracks where accommodation was very poor, especially in the supposed flagship installation of The Curragh.
He said the best accommodation he'd stayed in was in a UN barracks in Gomo, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“The accommodation there was very plush compared to what we have here. Gomo is in Central Africa, it's a third-world country,” he said.
There has been mounting criticism across the Defence Forces about substandard accommodation in military installations, as was highlighted recently in the .
Another officer told the conference he was once sent on a training course to Helsinki, Finland, and was blown away by the standard of accommodation provided to the military there.
He said the centre had 168 single rooms, all en suite, multifunctional office spaces, a 300-seat auditorium, library, restaurant, gymnasium and even a sauna.
He was so impressed he made inquiries from the Finns about the cost, because construction is very expensive there.
The officer was shocked to discover it only cost €16m, which included it being fully kitted out inside.
Raco delegates voted unanimously to call on the Department of Defence and military management to ensure accommodation is to an agreed standard in future.
Meanwhile, the conference heard the future of Cathal Brugha barracks in Dublin is under review by consultants acting for the Department of Defence.
This is causing a lot of stress to troops based there and their families because they don't know where they might be relocated to if a decision is taken to close it.
Raco general secretary Commandant Conor King has called on the department and military management to ensure proper supports are put in place to help personnel deployed in the barracks in the event a decision is taken to close it.
Many officers are already having to travel lengthy distances to postings, especially if they have to plug gaps due to personnel shortages. Some are double and treble-jobbing.
One officer said his commuting to postings cost him about €700 in fuel every month.
Delegates want to cut down on this need for excessive travel for a number of reasons. Not only is it impacting their work/life balance, but also adding to the carbon footprint.
They have voted to seek more opportunities to work from home and for increased 'blended' working.
Raco members are to call on the general staff and the Department of Defence to immediately invest in and implement, where feasible, a blended learning approach to training and education delivery for all courses.
They also want them to identify certain appointments offering the possibility of partial working from home, with the associated provision of necessary technical support, such as laptops and access to the Defence Forces' email on remote devices.
In addition, they want the Defence Forces to formalise the currently informal approach taken to hot-desking, and to recognise that provision of hot-desking facilities for officers working away from their home station should be provided.
The conference was also informed of plans to make Finner Camp in Co Donegal the first carbon neutral barracks in Ireland.
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