Independent.ie - BREAKING | Simon Coveney to step aside from Cabinet - 02 Apr24

Simon Coveney

IrishTimes.com - Defence Forces still struggling to convince troops to volunteer for Battlegroup duty - 20 Apr 24

Department of Defence has agreed to pay some allowances but frustrations continue

Examiner.com - Defence Forces outsourcing of maintenance contracts 'could jeopardise security' - 02 Apr 24

The maintenance of Defence Forces equipment, including helicopters and ships, is being outsourced to private contractors and 'this is a false economy', as well as a 'security risk'.

RTE.ie - Public sector pay deal formally ratified by unions - 25 Mar 24

Irishtimes.com - More than 1,500 Defence Forces personnel bought their way out of service since 2019 - 19 Mar 24

Recruitment and retention crisis continues

Examiner.com - Officers concerned at raising of entry age for cadets to Defence Forces - 05 Mar 24

Pictured is a commissioning ceremony of Defence Forces officers in 2018. RACO, the officers’ association, said the cadet entry age increase “will have implications for the viability of a career in the Defence Forces, when one considers the impact of the career average earnings model for superannuation, let alone the strict fitness and medical requirements imposed on new entrants to the organisation.” File photo: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Gov.ie - Tánaiste announces changes to mandatory retirement age and maximum recruitment age for Permanent Defence Force personnel - 05 Mar 24

From Department of Defence

Journal.ie - Government increases retirement age in military, gardaí and prison service to ease staffing crisis - 05 Mar 24

The announcement also includes an increase in military recruitment age from 26 to 39 years old.

Examiner.com - 'Our ultimate hell': Ex-army rangers tell how poor pay forced them out - 26 Feb 24

Alan O’Brien, Ger Reidy, Robert Stafford, and Ray Goggin say they would have stayed in the Army Ranger Wing if the pay was ‘half-decent’ Picture: Eddie O’Hare

Northernsound.ie - Local TD raises issue of defence forces retention - 20 Feb 24

Deputy Matt Carthy, said the crisis in the Irish Defence Forces is worsening under the current government.

IrishTimes.com - Air Corps members allege they were penalised for whistleblowing by loss of retirement ceremony - 21 Feb 24

Failure to invite soldier back for unit presentation is ‘biggest slap in the face’, says airman

Examiner.com - New legislation ‘may impose gagging orders on Defence Forces members’ - 21 Feb 24

Euromil, the European Organisation of Military Associations and Trade Unions, which represents 38 military associations in 23 European countries, has joined Irish military representative bodies, Raco and PDForra, in criticising the bill. Picture. Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie

Journal.ie - Military groups attack proposed 'draconian' Bill that will halt them criticising Government - 20 Feb 24

Houses of the Oireachtas - 19 Feb 24

The Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence will meet on Tuesday February 20th to discuss the general scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023 with representative associations of the Defence Forces.

Examiner.com - Defence Department tells air corps it has lost 'all confidence' in State jet - 04 Feb 24

The Air Corps currently operates one Learjet 45. However, the jet has been taken out of service on a number of occasions. Picture: Military.ie

Examiner.com - Defence Forces warned 35 years ago about poor procedures to deal with sex assault claims - 29 Jan 24

About 35 years ago, the then government initiated a commission on 'remuneration and conditions of service in the Defence Forces'.

RTE.ie - Compromise reached on public sector pay deal - Donohoe - 26 Jan 24

Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe said a 'compromise' was reached on the new public sector pay deal

Irishtimes.com - After the crash: Public sector workers still feeling pinch of emergency changes to pay and conditions - 23 Jan 24

Wages and hours hit by the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill have been restored in most cases but for some teachers, nurses and others, things never bounced back

RedFM - Calls for working hours in the Naval Service to be addressed - 10 Jan 24

LANA O'CONNOR

RedFM - The Naval Service is continuing to play catchup - 10 Jan 24

The Naval Service is continuing to play catchup after years of under investment as they struggle to attract recruits to the service.

Examiner.com - Russian submarine 'chased' from Cork Harbour by British navy - 11 Dec 23

Military insiders say the Russians are probing British defence systems as they realise the UK is vulnerable on its western flank because the Irish navy has no sonar capabilities

Examiner.com - Army veteran: ‘I started standing up for myself and the higher ranks came right back at me’ - 11 Dec 23

Former army member Alan Nolan voiced his concerns over policy and treatment in the Defence Forces, but instead of being listened to at the time, he was ‘screamed at, shouted at, sworn at’

Irish Sun - Irish Navy staff shortage crisis deepens as two sea patrols per week cancelled to ‘ensure optimal resource allocation’ - 07 Dec 23

From a fleet of nine ships a few years ago it now only has three vessels which are seaworthy

IrishTimes - Implement Defence Forces recommendations ‘urgently’ to turn around recruiting crisis - 22 Nov 23

argets ‘achievable’ if stakeholders work towards making Defence Forces attractive - Pdforra president