Fifty Defence Forces positions vacant

KEY MANAGEMENT vacancies across the Defence Forces remain unfilled more than six weeks after the Government approved 50 promotions to fill the posts and despite many personnel having been selected for the promotions.

Among the vacancies are two flag officer positions in the Naval Service, which are the two most senior posts within the service apart from the commanding officer, or commodore.

Fine Gael said the large number of vacancies in key posts represented a “serious void” within the Defence Forces that could put lives at risk, particularly on dangerous overseas missions like in Chad. A very large number of vacancies have arisen across the Defence Forces because of the moratorium on recruitment and promotions in the public service.

However, the situation is particularly acute in the Defence Forces because many personnel recruited as the Troubles started in the 1970s are now coming to the end of their careers. The combined strength of the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps fell just below 10,000 in November for the first time in four decades. The full number should be 10,500.

Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea in November secured approval from the Department of Finance to promote 50 personnel to fill some of the vacancies.

A staffing review was immediately carried out by the Defence Forces, and those posts in need of being filled most urgently were identified. However, The Irish Timesunderstands disagreement arose between the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces about some of the posts.

The department wanted the promotions to take place at lower ranks. Promotions at lower ranks are less costly than promoting officers into very senior positions.

Mr O’Dea instructed that another review be carried out. Informed defence sources believe this review is “needless” and is delaying the promotions.

Fine Gael’s spokesman on defence, Jimmy Deenihan TD, said the delay was part of a wider Government plan to reduce Defence Forces numbers “by stealth”. “Double and triple jobbing because of reduced numbers is one thing, but doing it where lives are at risk on operations at home and abroad is highly dangerous,” he said. “Ironically, the department itself has not been cut back. There are five times as many civil servants administering the Defence Forces as there are administering an army of a similar size in New Zealand – 350, as against 61.

“This is further proof of the Government’s failure to introduce real reform into the public service.”

Mr O’Dea said promotion competitions needed to be run. He expected most of the promotions to take place before January’s end.

“The suggestion by Deputy Deenihan that there is a ‘delay’ in filling these posts arising for some administrative reason is simply untrue and misleading. There is a comprehensive process that needs to be completed fully . . .”