Dr. Mark Mellett:

I thank the Senators and Deputies for their questions. I will start on the issue of gender diversity and inclusion. I really would like to see more women in the Defence Forces. That is not just because of our commitment under United Nations Security Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, not just to be politically correct and not just because we need access to the half of society that is female. It is a capability issue and I will come back to that point in a moment. In the context of Resolution 1325, the real tragedy in many of the areas we operate in is that sexual exploitation, abuse and gender-based violence are the main, if not the supporting, effort in many of the conflicts. The capacity for a military force to have that institutionalised gender perspective is an essential in driving capability.

It is not an issue just in regard to getting a balance in the Defence Forces. We would be better if we had more women. I tried during my time to increase the number of women in the Defence Forces. We have moved from 6% to 7%. That might seem like a small amount of progress and I wish it was much more. I would like to get it up to between 12% and 20% of the Defence Forces. There is a tipping point where it becomes sustainable. The issue is, however, much larger than the Defence Forces. It is linked to a societal issue. I believe that young girls and boys are stereotyped at a very young age into predominantly caring kinds of roles for girls. Girls are not channelled towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STEM. I have actually used the phrase "STEM2", that is science, technology, engineering, mathematics and military.

I would love if we could have a leadership that spoke about the opportunities in the Defence Forces for women. I have dealt with female commanders overseas. In fact, the current gender adviser to the office of the NATO Secretary General’s special representative for women, peace and security is a woman from the Defence Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Mary Carroll. I last met her in Syria on the Golan Heights where she was the unit commander. That is the type of competence we have among women in the Defence Forces. Lieutenant Colonel Carroll led that unit, predominantly male, of 130 men and women which is the fast reaction unit in that volatile area. I have seen throughout the Defence Forces, in our engineers and in many other areas, where technical competence is coming from the addition of women to the Defence Forces. It brings additionality in decision-making.

It is a capability issue and it is also an issue of diversity. I tend to separate gender from diversity inclusion simply because I see it as such a big issue in itself. Moving into the matter of diversity, from my perspective, diversity is a hedge for complexity. As we drive more and more into complexity, and the world is becoming more complex, we need to have diverse inputs into our decision-making. We need to move away from male groupthink to diverse perspectives in regard to decision-making. I and my staff are committed to increasing the number of women but I cannot do it on my own. I need support from decision-makers in the State, in schools and most of all the support of gatekeepers, the mammies and daddies, to say that a career in the Defence Forces is good for a woman.

On diversity and inclusion, similarly and on the same theme, within the Defence Forces, I and the General Staff have taken a lead on that. We need to be inclusive across the various perspectives such as gender, culture, creed and even age. I speak a different language from a millennial and he or she does not understand the language of a wrinkly old admiral. The ability to break down those barriers within an organisation is critical. I do not want stovepipes of little societies or social systems within the Defence Forces. I refer to trying to have an inclusive workplace where everybody can come to work with their whole person as opposed to the opposite. We have our inclusion and diversity strategy. We were one of the first organisations in the public sector to do that and it is working well. We are not giving up on that point and we have much more to do in that regard.

Turning back to some of the opening questions, on the issue of the Public Service Pay Commission and the submission to the commission, I have a responsibility to give advice and a perspective under section 13(3) of the Defence Act. I give my advice without fear or favour. The deliberations in regard to coming to a point of truth on the submission to the pay commission were robust, and that is to be expected. I have my own perspective, just as the Department of Defence has its perspective. I will say that we came to a point of truth and a submission was made in early September to the pay commission. I stand full square behind that submission.

The submission has gone to the pay commission and it is considering it. In due course, the pay commission will make a decision on recommendations to Government. When the Government makes its decision on foot of those recommendations, then we are in a new point in time. If necessary, I will give further advice, depending on the outcome. I do not see it just stopping with the decision of Government. I see my job, in terms of leadership, to implement that decision, but it may require that I continue to give further advice to Government in the context of what I have to deal with in the Defence Forces.

There is no doubt that I see the challenge of pay as a key issue. I am not, however, just looking at pay. There are other areas where I also have responsibility and I am absolutely committed to those. We spoke about work-life balance and the requirement of the organisation itself to be family-friendly. I have tried to do that with the introduction of hot desks and in spouse and partner balancing in how we govern overseas service. On the issue of three months versus six months, I would love if we could reduce it below three months but there is a practical point. I refer to continuity and experience in service whereby it becomes disruptive, certainly in the international domain, when an individual would come into an appointment for a shorter period than three months. There is a requirement for acclimatisation, the development of relationships with work colleagues and the delivery of service.

I am trying to be constructive in respect of the requirement to meet the needs of the individual. At the same time, we have to ensure that the outputs are fit for purpose. I feel that three months is probably the optimal in the context of family-friendly overseas appointments.

Also with regard to family-friendly appointments, I am trying, where possible, to ensure postings are closer to the family home so we can reduce commuting distances. That is not always possible but, on balance, we endeavour to achieve that. With regard to disturbance, if somebody is posted to an area away from the home there are supports available and the family can be moved, if necessary. That is an option an individual can take.

On dealing with personnel and the climate survey, we have moved to increase the age of our privates and senior NCOs at sergeant level and our corporals in order that they can serve overseas until they are 55. That has been introduced. It increases the pool. Previously, these NCOs used to be able to serve until 50. We are also moving on areas such as promotion, which is critical. In the past year, we have had about 749 promotions. The system is not as efficient as I would like. It causes long delays in terms of the placement of individuals in gaps. That is a problem for two reasons. First, it means an individual in the organisation is not getting paid at a rate he or she should be. Second, there is a gap in the organisation where an individual should be able to function at senior NCO level. That is why, in 2019, I hope for an expeditious outcome on the promotion competition, through engaging with the Department and representative bodies.

With regard to retention, it is a question of trying to return to some of the principles that underpinned the Defence Forces in the past. One involves re-institutionalising the importance of sport and team activity. We have become really focused on outputs but have forgotten some of the institutions that really support them. One is the tradition of sport in terms of team effort and building a community within the Defence Forces rather than obsessing over outputs. In the long run, I am convinced that returning to greater cohesion on the sport side will enhance our resilience in terms of the outputs.

This feeds into another major concern I have. It is a general concern and not just about the Defence Forces. It pertains to well-being. The greatest challenge facing complex organisations is that of stress. We feel it individually and as communities, and we feel it in organisations such as ours. Therefore, trying to find a means whereby we can institutionalise well-being within the Defence Forces is good for a variety of reasons. First, it means a soldier has greater resilience in facing some of his or her challenges, making him or her less likely to be stressed in dealing with them. Second, it gives me a more resilient organisation to meet the expectations of the Government and the citizen.

As for development, a question was asked by Deputy Jack Chambers on education. It is one of the key points on which I am focused. Currently in the Defence Forces there is a system whereby every junior NCO can go to level 6 and every senior NCO can go to degree level. We have degree-level programmes for officers and programmes up to master's level. I am even committed to trying to institutionalise, where possible, work-based learning leading to professional PhDs in order that people can learn in the workplace. This is a remarkable achievement. Last week, I attended an event in the Institute of Technology, Carlow at which 209 members of the Defence Forces were given awards, from master's level downwards. It was great to see. Some of the young men and women did not have a leaving certificate when they joined the Defence Forces. We brought them from the point of having none to having one. With brought them to a point where they received accreditation and work-based learning, working with the Institute of Technology, Carlow. Some of them have graduated with a master's degree.

On the issue of the soldier, sailor and aircrew of the future, it is not just about being a warrior in terms of professional skills; it is also about being a scholar in order that one can have perspective on a broader world, such that one can actually think as well as deliver. The third aspect concerns diplomacy. It is a matter of trying to nurture the skills in the context of one's ability to work with others. Increasingly, the challenges we face have answers that lie outside our organisational boundaries. It is a matter of trying to create an organisation that has the ability to recognise it is part of a broader community in terms of solving problems. That means being able to network externally. Although I spoke about internal diversity earlier, I regard the Defence Forces as part of a system of external diversity in terms of dealing with the higher educational institutes and bodies and other aspects of civil society.

With regard to the University of Limerick recommendations, I have an action plan called the climate survey action plan. It contains approximately 54 items. I have made progress on 20 of those, for which I am responsible, in the Defence Forces. Twelve have been closed. I am still working on a number of others. There are areas with regard to contracts on which I am working with the Department. I am absolutely committed to moving on that.

The issue of pay has arisen in terms of the climate survey, focus groups and employee engagement surveys. It arises in town hall meetings when I meet the men and women of the Defence Forces. Sometimes when one is faced with a young soldier who has a dependant or partner and he says to me on a Sunday it is costing him to deliver a 24-hour service, it is a challenge, especially when he reaches a point where he nearly breaks down in front of his peers. Therefore, there is concern over pay. I am not obsessed on the pay side but I am saying there is an issue I have to address. That is why I made an appeal to address the Public Service Pay Commission. I hope to do that. I am delighted the Minister of State was able to prioritise the Defence Forces in respect of the work of the commission. With regard to the outcome in terms of the recommendation to the Government, a point will ultimately be reached at which the latter will make a decision. As Clausewitz said, there can be no way other than subordinating the military to the political. I said in my opening statement that I will give the leadership to implement the decision of the Government but if there is a need for me to give further advice, I will do so at that time.