Examiner.ie - Defence Forces 'needs at least 4,000 more personnel to be able to operate effectively' - 24 Apr 23


Defence Forces 'needs at least 4,000 more personnel to be able to operate effectively'

All three service branches of the Defence Forces are understaffed, according to new figures detailing the shortfall in each. File picture: Mark Stedman/RollingNews


Staffing levels in Ireland's Defence Forces are 4,000 below what experts say is the absolute minimum number of personnel needed for the country's military to operate effectively.

The Defence Forces has been battling a recruitment and rentention crisis to the last number of years and figures obtained by the Irish Examiner show there are now just 7,600 trained personnel. However, the actual ‘effective strength’ is likely to be less as the official figure of 7,600 includes those on long-term sick leave, maternity leave, career breaks, or on permanent leave as they await their official discharge.

The Commission on Defence report, compiled by a group of Irish and foreign experts, states that the country's Defence Forces need a minimum of 11,500 personnel. 

The Government says it is committed to achieving this figure, but there are fears that the numbers could fall below 7,602.

Prior to the commission’s report, successive governments agreed the minimum strength across the entire Defence Forces should not drop below 9,500. Personnel numbers have continued to dip under this for several years, with each year worse than the last.

That minimum of 9,500 Defence Forces personnel comprises the following minimums for each of the services:  

 

  • The Army was supposed to have 7,520 personnel — it now has 6,220;  
  • The Naval Service should have 1,094 personnel but has just 744;  
  • The Air Corps should have 886 but has 638 personnel.  

There are fewer than 60 recruits currently under training at the new Joint Instructor Training Centre in Gormanston, Co Meath.

In order to keep pace with retirements and those quitting, the Defence Forces need to recruit up to 800 personnel per year just to keep pace.

The recruits in Gormanstown are spread across the army, navy, and air corps. The navy, which is being hit hardest by the recruitment crisis, has just 14 recruits currently in training.

Gerard Guinan, general secretary of PDForra — which represents enlisted personnel — said his association had predicted this staffing crisis back in 2017. Mr Guinan said: 

While some inroads on pay for new entrants has been made, the failure to appropriately address issues associated with allowances and the equitable application of the Working Time Directive was always going to lead to this situation.

He said failure to address such issues is a major factor in discontent and the exodus of personnel.

“Sadly, the inability to put ships to sea, the increased departures arising from increased mandatory selection (for missions) and the farming out of work to civilian contractors, who are paid multiples of what our members get, is the natural and predictable consequences of this inaction and delay,” Mr Guinan said.

He said PDForra's prediction of an impending personnel crisis had been viewed in some quarters as "alarmist" and it's time "people on the other side" (the Department of Defence) start engaging in fixing the problem.