PDForra president Mark Keane speaking at the association's conference in Killarney earlier this year. Mr Keane has now welcomed the work carried out to achieve the defence spending increase. Raco also welcomed the investment but said there is very little good news for officers. Picture: Dan Linehan
There has been mixed reaction from the country’s two military representative associations to the extra €400m per year to be pumped into the nation’s defence spending.
While one has given it a general welcome, the other has said it doesn’t have confidence in the proposals.
PDForra president Mark Keane, representing 6,500 enlisted personnel, welcomed the work carried out by Defence Minister Simon Coveney and his officials to get the increase, bringing the annual defence spend to €1.5bn by 2028.
A number of proposals are contained in the new budget to allow for increases in remuneration for the lowest paid of the country’s military, but Mr Keane said no exact dates for the start of these payments has been revealed.
They include a €5,000 per year increase for privates in the army, able ratings in the naval service, and their equivalent in the air corps, bringing their annual salary to €34,500 per year.
Mr Coveney also wants to expand the naval service’s sea service commitment scheme. He announced it in January 2021 to ensure adequate numbers of personnel signed up to agree a certain amount of days of sea patrols. Those who signed up for two years were offered an additional €10,000, before tax.
To get the loyalty payment, sailors must have three years’ experience. More than 40% do not meet this requirement which, Mr Keane said, is causing resentment within the forces.
“We need to engage with the Department of Defence on what the widening of the qualification criteria means and when it'll be delivered,” he said.
Another recommendation for increasing pay in the budget is the creation of a lance corporal rank.
Midway between a private and a corporal, this allows those gaining experience an opportunity to get more money as their careers progress between the levels.
We need clarity on when increases will be introduced. The language is vague.
It doesn’t say whether they'll be introduced in three, six, or nine months’ time. That’s why we need to engage further with the department,” Mr Keane said.
PDForra wants an addition to recommendations to stem the continuing exodus of highly experienced personnel.
“We need to see long service increments introduced as well. This recommendation was also included in the commission’s report in order to retain those who have remained loyal to the Defence Forces for many years and to retain their corporate knowledge,” Mr Keane said.
Commandant Conor King, general secretary of Raco, which represents 1,100 officers, said while they welcome the investment, there is very little good news for officers who will be called upon to deliver the much-needed leadership and recruitment training that is required to increase the Defence Forces' strength by 3,000 people.
He said officers will be treated "less favourably" than their enlisted colleagues in terms of allowances and they’re not getting the entitlements they’re allowed for specialised instructor roles and are overworked due to the Working Time Directive not being implemented, which sees some junior officers working 70-plus hours a week.
"We now have the bizarre situation where a lieutenant delivering the vital instruction and training in a cadet school or training centre is being paid less than the corporal instructor who they are responsible for in terms of mentoring, supervising, career management, and guidance," Raco president Commandant Martin Ryan said.
Comdt King said: "Such inequality would not be tolerated anywhere else in the civil or public service.
“This should have been a positive news story for the Defence Forces. Any improvements in capability provision are welcomed; however, there can be no defence capability without people. The plan will fail without the support and buy-in from the commissioned leaders and managers of Óglaigh na hÉireann, who also deserve to be supported, respected, and valued by Government,” the senior officer added.