Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

The public is rightly and intensely proud of our Defence Forces. Irish soldiers have given their lives in the service of peace around the world, protecting some of the world’s most vulnerable citizens. Thousands of their families at home have endured the absence of a father or a mother during the long period of overseas service. Our Air Corps fly air ambulances and save hundreds of lives annually. The Naval Service patrols the equivalent of 220 million acres of sea, over 12 times the landmass of Ireland and 15% of total European fisheries. The navy has intercepted some of the largest drugs shipments in EU waters and is a vital component in Ireland’s war on organised crime and drug gangs.

Our Defence Forces, however, are in deep crisis. In particular, there is a recruitment and retention crisis. This week the Chief of Staff, not known for his outspokenness, sent a coded message to the Government when he said, “Some great people are making the choice to leave the organisation and the level and trend in the churn is a matter of concern for me”. The Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, RACO, president made the point more clearly when he said ships are unable to go sea, aircraft are not flying and units are operating below strength across the board.

The designated strength of the Defence Forces is 9,500 personnel. Its current strength is below that number by as much as 1,000. Already this year, there have been 558 discharges. The turnover rate referred to by the Chief of Staff is at 10.3%, which is devastating for our Defence Forces. That rate of turnover means that the Defence Forces will never return to full strength and will fall to 7,500 by 2030. The situation is so bad that even recruits in training are paying to get out of the services.

The Government is presiding over a situation where our Defence Forces personnel are the lowest-paid workers in the public service with some earning less than the minimum wage and up to 85% earning less than the average industrial wage. In view of the understrength numbers, the significant turnover rate, the large number of personnel, including new recruits, leaving the service, and the number of naval protection vessels out of commission due to the lack of personnel and the underspend in the Department of Defence, will the Government improve the pay conditions and allowances of the Defence Forces, including the immediate and full restoration of all cuts in pay allowances and services? Will the Government increase immediately the basic minimum hourly rate of pay to at least the living wage? Will the Government withdraw the tender for the €200 million multi-role warship to use that money to improve the pay, conditions and allowances of our personnel?

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