The Defense Forces recruitment crisis will not be resolved without urgent measures

The defense forces will not regain full strength in the foreseeable future without urgent measures to reinforce retention and increase recruitment, the newly elected president of the association representing the country’s military officers warned.

Commander Luke Foley, the new president of the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO) said that despite the best efforts of the Defense Force instructors, the recruitment is not keeping up with the starts.

RACO estimates that around 10% of personnel leave the Defense Forces annually and this significant turnover rate combined with the current recruitment rate will not allow the Defense Forces to reach its recognized minimum strength of 9,500 fully trained personnel.

Comdt Foley noted that since there are currently 480 personnel in full-time induction training, the actual deployment force of the Defense Forces is actually around 8,000.

He said that more than 3,600 personnel left the Defense Forces between 2015 and 2019, which was more than 40% of the average strength for those years. In total, 86% of these left voluntarily, before their mandatory retirement date.

“Another problem is that of the new members who entered after 2013 and who will not be able to accumulate a full pension due to the early retirement age of the soldiers,” he said.

This is forcing our young members to review the viability of a long career in the Defense Forces.

Commander Foley said that the RACO has welcomed the new appointments of Minister Simon Coveney and the new Secretary General of the Department, Ms. Jacqui McCrum, to the Department of Defense, and is encouraged by their strong commitments to improve the permanence in the Defense Forces.

However, he said that while RACO believes the early signs are positive, much more is required for the organization to ever return to its minimum strength.

Fair terms and conditions for members of the Defense Forces will help attract and retain highly qualified personnel. We are proud of the work we do representing Ireland both at home and abroad, but this pride must be reciprocated by acknowledging the unique nature of military service, ”he said.

“This is necessary to recognize the sacrifices that each member makes to serve our nation, whether at sea for long periods of time, performing emergency aeromedical service 365 days a year, supporting the civil power and civil authority, or serving long periods abroad as a peacemaker as a physical embodiment of Ireland’s foreign policy. “

He said that if the turnover rate can be reduced through better conditions of service and better wages, the Defense Forces could reach 9,500 in a few years.

If we can reduce the turnover rate to 5%, then, along with 700 inductions per year, we would see the Defense Forces reach 9,500 as early as 2023.

But Comdt Foley maintained that “this can only be achieved with political will, despite the effects of Covid-19 on initial training.”

Comdt Foley said RACO also welcomes the Government’s commitment to establish an independent salary review body to recognize the unique nature of military service.

“It is essential that we take a holistic approach to this review, and the Commission must include all parts of the Defense Organization. The Commission’s findings should result in changes that rebuild the Defense Forces, ”he said.

He added that RACO believes that the Defense Forces Commission is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to really find out what the State expects from its armed forces and what resources are required to achieve it.