No Defence Forces units operating at full strength, conference hears

Not a single unit in the entire Defence Forces is operating at full strength, a security conference has been told.

The Future of Irish Defence conference, which was attended by senior military officers and Government officials, heard manpower deficiencies are impacting on all areas of the military and there is little point in procuring new equipment if the ongoing recruitment and retention crisis is not addressed.

Commandant Conor King, general secretary of the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (Raco) said it is a “statable fact” that there is not a single unit anywhere in the Defence Forces operating at the required capacity, due in particular to a lack of officers and noncommissioned officers.

“How do you mentor, how do you supervise, how do you absorb operational and organisational risk, how do you maintain corporate governance when your leadership is absent?” Cmdt King asked.

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Elsewhere on Wednesday, Minister for Defence Simon Coveney said he would be bringing plans to Cabinet later this month on the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces. The commission reported in February that the military, as it is currently constituted, is not capable of credibly defending the State.

Speaking at the launch of a rebranded recruitment campaign for the Defence Forces, Mr Coveney said retention of personnel was “absolutely essential” and that the Defence Forces required adequate resources to achieve that.

“We have a clear evidence base now from the Commission on the Defence Forces report which shows that what we’re asking of our Defence Forces isn’t matched by the resources that we’re investing in them,” the Minister said.

Mr Coveney is expected to recommend an increase of at least €500 million in the annual defence budget, a 50 per cent increase. This increase would occur over the course of several years.

“This can’t happen in one year or two years or three years. This is going to be a sustained increase of investment over time,” he said.

Speaking at the conference, retired brigadier general Gerard Aherne said he was aware of one infantry battalion operating at 24 per cent understrength.

Former Naval Service lieutenant commander Erika O’Leary said when she retired from the Defence Forces five years ago the shortage of expertise was just starting to become a problem but that it was nothing compared with the situation now. On paper the Naval Service has nine ships but it is now effectively a five-ship navy, she said.

The Commission on the Defence Forces put forward three proposals: keep defence spending as it is; increase it by 50 per cent; or increase it by 300 per cent to bring Irish spending in line with that of other small European Union countries.

Ben Tonra, professor of international relations at the UCD, said only the latter proposal was capable of credibly maintaining neutrality.

He said a citizens’ assembly would be one way of starting the required national conversation on defence and security. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he hopes to see a citizens’ assembly on the issue of neutrality within the lifetime of the current Government.

Independent TD and former Army Ranger wing officer Cathal Berry told the event there had been increased discussion of security issues in recent months but this was coming from “a very low base”.

He said four months ago he would never have believed Ireland would be sending military aid to Ukraine in the form of body armour and rations.

The event was run by the national security group Sláindáil and sponsored by Lockheed Martin. A representative from the arms manufacturer gave a presentation on Lockheed fighter jets which could meet Irish air defence needs. Options included buying new jets from the US or second-hand F-16 aircraft from other countries who are upgrading their air forces, he said.

In its report, the commission proposed the purchase of a squadron of jets to defend Irish airspace, although it thought unlikely this will be acted upon in the short to medium term.