Cormac O'Keeffe: Comparing defence and policing plans highlights battle ahead 

Irish Examiner Security Correspondent does a 'compare and contrast' with policing reform blueprint

Taoiseach Micheal Martin meets members of the defence forces at the launch of the Report of the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces at McKee Barracks in Dublin. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

"Compare and contrast" used to be a staple of secondary school essays when tasked with examining a subject matter.

It is as good a place as any to begin an analysis of the Government’s much-anticipated plan to reform and reinvest in the Defence Forces, coming on the back of many years of neglect, a recruitment and retention crisis and a worsening international security landscape.