Trying to hire more soldiers before deal with Defence Forces pay and condition is like “pouring water into a leaky bucket,” according to an independent TD.
The Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney is due to bring a memo to Cabinet seeking to dramatically increase investment in Ireland’s Defence forces.
He has told the Irish Independent that at least 3,000 more soldiers are needed to address the security threats facing Ireland following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The 3,000 figure was recommended by Commission on the Defence Forces report – which recommended a 300% increase in defence spending.
Speaking at the annual 1916 ceremony in Arbour Hill, Minister Coveney said 3,000 should only be a “starting point”, noting that the war in Ukraine had changed the picture once again.
Pay and conditions
On The Pat Kenny Show this morning, former Army Ranger and independent TD Cathal Berry said recruiting new people is only the start.
He said the number of people in the Defence forces has fallen by 2,000 over the last ten years due to the poor pay and conditions on offer.
“You can announce 3,000 vacancies but will you get 3,000 people filled? That’s the big question,” he said.
“The pay offer has to change and the pay has to be much more competitive. The renumeration must be more competitive. Simply paying someone €21,000 as a recruit and expecting them to stay when they have a family just doesn’t work.
“That is why 2,000 people left. They just couldn’t afford to stay.”
"Leaky bucket"
Deputy Berry said the main issue is that Defence forces members are not paid for overtime hours, except for a stipend of €2 to €3 an hour.
He said increasing overtime pay to at least the minimum wage is a matter for Cabinet.
“There’s no point in putting out a communique about recruiting 3,000 people unless they address the minimum wage,” he said.
“We certainly need to get these additional 3,000 people in but getting them in to the armed forces is only the start. We’ve got to keep them.
“There’s no point in pouring water into a leaky bucket or pumping air into a punctured tyre. Fix the puncture first and then pump in the air.”
Recruitment
Also on the show, Security Analyst Declan Power said the Defence Forces also need a more flexible recruitment strategy.
“There’s not enough flexibility in recruitment system and I think that’s problematic,” he said.
“It comes down to using the resources we have in a more imaginative and effective way.
“There has to be regular professional Defence Forces with career soldiers of all ranks - that is the core - and then we have to have an outer layer where people of various capacities and specialities can be recruited in.”
