Examiner.ie - Pay deal struck to deploy defence force personnel at Dublin Airport - 07 Jul 22



Pay deal struck to deploy defence force personnel at Dublin Airport

A breakthrough has been achieved between the Defence Forces representative associations and the Department of Defence to pave the way for members of the military to step into the breach to act as security personnel in Dublin Airport.

But some issues have arisen about how the Defence Forces will provide some of the resources for security duties.

It is understood that to meet the requirements for searching passengers, some 35 female members of the defence forces would be required to look after female passengers.

This will put pressure on the Defence Forces as they only have 7% of a women cohort across the Army, Naval Service, and Air Corps.

Filling in for the lack of security personnel at Dublin Airport will also lead to added pressure on the Defence Forces in general. They are already short more than 1,500 of the minimum number of personnel they require to run home and overseas operations.

However, the pay deal will give military personnel double the rates given to them for 24-hour duties under the ‘Aid To Civil Authority Act’, (ATCAC).

That saw them just getting €52 before tax and this has been repeatedly criticised by many politicians and both PDForra, which represents 6,500 enlisted personnel, and RACO, which represents 1,100 officers.

However, the Irish Examiner understands the Dublin Airport new deal — which both military representative organisations have not commented on — will bring it in line with the Covid-19 security payments which soldiers, sailors and aircrews received when they were involved in supporting the HSE during pandemic operations.

It will double the ATCAC rate, but is understood to still fall short of what the representative associations believe should be a fair day’s pay, especially as some army personnel have to be bused into the airport from camps which are several miles away from the capital.

 

Members of the Defence Forces have had to cancel their own summer holidays to accommodate the work in Dublin Airport. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Troops will have to be transported from as far away as Finer Camp in Co Donegal to carry out security duties at Dublin Airport.

They will also be commanded to come to the airport from other army camps in Athlone and Dundalk.

Many of them will have to cancel their own summer holidays with their families to facilitate the public flying out to summer hotspots.

A question mark still remains about if the troops will actually be deployed, especially as the pressure on the airport’s overall security is easing because of the increasing cancellation of flights due to a Covid-19 upsurge amongst pilots and cabin crews.

In addition, Dublin Airport is now beginning to recruit more of its own private security operators, which may lessen the need for the number of military personnel it initially requested to fill the gaps.

 

A technician tests out a new baggage carousel system as airlines prepare for large passenger numbers at Dublin Airport Terminal 1. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

A cohort of 30 Defence Forces personnel has already received initial training on what is required and is preparing to pass this information onto the personnel who are on standby to go to the airport.

If the security situation continues to decline, army personnel could start operations at the airport next Monday morning.