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Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin has acknowledged there is “a very significant challenge” in the recruitment and retention of members of the Defence Forces in a full employment labour market.
However, he stressed that there have been significant increases in the starting pay of Defence Forces personnel, while work is under way to improve equipment and infrastructure in every barracks in the country.
Speaking to the media in Athlone prior to reviewing the 68th Infantry Group due to travel to the Golan Heights on peacekeeping duties in the coming weeks, he also announced that private consultant-led healthcare will be available all members of the Defence Forces for the first time.
“From this month, I can confirm private consultant-led healthcare will be available for all members of the Defence Forces, which is a very significant advance for members at all levels and all ranks.
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“It is the first time this has ever happened and I think it’s very significant, it’s an additional benefit that will help in recruitment and also help in retention of members of our Air Corps, navy and Defence Forces.
He paid tribute to the 133 members of the Defence Forces who will travel in early October to the Golan Heights for what will be the final large-scale Irish troop rotation for service with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and their families, who make significant sacrifices as their loved ones go on a “significant and prolonged” tour of duty at a rain-soaked ceremony in Custume Barracks.
“This will be the final large-scale rotation of Irish soldiers for quite some time because we are consolidating and also engaging in the EU Battlegroup which will be German-led in 2024-2025, so for the time being we’ll pulling back after this mission is complete.”
In March, the Minister announced the decision to effectively withdraw the Defence Forces’ contribution to UNDOF in the Golan Heights. The move followed the conclusion of an assessment of the sustainability of the Defence Forces’ overseas commitments.
On Friday in Athlone, Mr Martin praised Ireland’s “significant role” in peacekeeping over many years in the Golan Heights, where members have helped to maintain peace between Israel and Syria.
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And he said they will keep under review the potential other future missions that may arise in an increasingly unstable world.
“Obviously, we maintain our presence in UNIFIL and then we have presences in other locations around the world as well, and we’ll keep under review the potential future missions that may arise because the world is a very difficult space.
“Unfortunately, there is excessive global conflict, too many wars and a lot of instability. Therefore there is a need for peacekeeping and other interventions such as civil personnel required to oversee various missions,” he said.
While he denied the recruitment crisis was one of the reasons for the withdrawal from the Golan, the Tánaiste conceded in questions about the scale of the problem that there was a “very significant challenge” in tackling recruitment and retention in a full employment labour market.
“There is a very significant challenge, of that there is no doubt, I’ve been clear about that, particularly in the navy.
“We’ve increased starting pay very significantly now, coming in with a Leaving Certificate your income would around €37,000, if you’re on commission as a cadet following your Leaving Cert, you’ll be on around €41,000, and a graduate on commissioning as a cadet, the initial starting salary will be €46,000-plus, but we will be continue to look at ways to improve the quality of life of our Defence Forces as they serve the nation and work on our behalf.
“Could I also take the opportunity today to say that the investment programme in our Defence Forces is continuing, a 10 per cent increase last year in the estimates, and there is a big, big capital transformation taking place.
“Also, in the equipment plan being rolled out we welcomed the first of C295 surveillance aircraft this year to ensure patrol vessels, and then the MOAG modernisation, so there is a very significant investment in equipment and we’ll also be investing in infrastructure in barracks. We want state-of-the-art infrastructure for all members of our Defence Forces,” he stressed.
Asked about the reasons behind the recruitment and retention problems in the Defence Forces, Mr Martin admitted that in a full employment situation many companies are searching for workers and military personnel are highly skilled.
“Military personnel are very well trained and in some instances, we know say in the Ringaskiddy area they are actively pursuing naval recruits, trained naval personnel and even buying them out of their contract obligations.
“This is a European-wide experience and a global experience. I met with a Secretary from the navy from the US recently and they are facing similar issues, particularly in terms of the ongoing competition with the private sector in terms of them coming in and poaching highly trained staff.
“Ireland’s unemployment rate is 3.8 per cent, which is essentially full employment, so we’re in a competitive environment, but we also have to radically change our approach, particularly for the younger generation coming into the labour market.
“They have different attitudes and different approaches and I think we have to consistently look at doing things differently in terms of how we recruit and retain our staff,” he told the assembled media in Custume Barracks.
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Questioned about Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s recent comments on Irish unity and whether they had been targeted at London, the Tánaiste replied: “In the context of the Good Friday Agreement all parties have preferences in relation to the constitutional status of Northern Ireland. Unionists are committed to staying within the United Kingdom, people from my persuasion and others favour living in unity and reconciliation in the Wolfe Tone tradition, my party’s tradition.
“There should be no issue with anyone having a preference for a constitutional outcome, but the issue right now is that we do urgently need the urgent restoration of the Assembly on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland, who have elected people to fill an Assembly and have elected members of parliament who should then form an Executive. I think it’s the people of Northern Ireland are being left short by the absence of an Executive and an Assembly.
“Pressure is mounting in terms of the fiscal situation, the pressure on the health services and education services and social services more generally, and having spoken to all of the political parties in the North, they are acutely aware of the longer the delay the more difficult the problem will be for those who eventually take their positions in the executive to navigate through the financial pressures because of the broader UK fiscal situation. That will be on the Northern Ireland Executive, and on Northern Ireland’s public services.”
On Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald’s comments that she would be willing to talk to all parties about forming a government after a general election, the leader of Fianna Fáil was more blunt in his assessment.
“The bottom line is this it should be policy-based and I’ve noticed the absence of policy from Mary Lou this morning, very little substance in terms of any issue for that matter, but I do believe they have an anti-enterprise position, an anti-European Union position, they have voted against every EU treaty since time began in respect of our membership of the European Union. So they are fundamental policy differences, I did note that she said initially that she didn’t want to be in government with Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael.”