Page 10 - Signal Summer 2018

| RACO PSPC |

Delegates at last November's RACO BDC where many of the issues raised in the RACO submission were debated.
2-8 years to develop (at considerable expense). The high tary while Part III identifies the causes and makes recom-
rate of officers exiting the Defence Forces, in advance mendations on how to solve them.
of mandatory retirement ages, is likely to continue while
Defence Management act in contradiction of strategic Stemming the current outflow is essential in order
policy and fail to provide viable solutions to the current to effectively mitigate the increasing risks, to maintain
issues. In what is a most concerning development, the operational effectiveness and to provide a work environ-
potential to commit to a long-term career in the Defence ment that is conducive to the health and wellbeing of all
Forces is no longer financially viable. This is particular- Defence Forces personnel. The issues discussed in this
ly true where other employment Sectors (Private and submission should be read in conjunction with RACO’s
Public) are offering more favorable terms and conditions initial submission to the PSPC 1 in November 2016.
of employment supported by higher rates of total remu- Defence management’s lack of urgency in addressing
neration (pay, compensatory allowance and pension). these problems is deeply disappointing from an indus-
The Defence Forces are currently failing to address these trial relations perspective but is also disconcerting at
core concerns and, as a result, are incapable of retaining an organisational level as the impact of this inertia on
personnel in sufficient numbers across the officer ranks organisational effectiveness becomes increasingly appar-
of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service. The Defence ent. The continual organisation downsizing combined
Forces is now a “stop gap” or “stepping stone” to more with the diminution in service conditions in the Defence
favorable long-term employment in other sectors. Forces has placed the organisation at a point of crisis
with respect to its trained “manning levels” across all
Defence Management and other stakeholders have services. A key turning point resulting in this situation was
acknowledged the significant recruitment and retention the reorganisation of the Defence Forces in 2012. The
issues across the ranks of the Defence Forces but have loss of a brigade from the organisational structure (which
failed to introduce any initiative in an effort to address included the loss of numerous barracks and integral units)
the outflow. Both short and long-term initiatives are now and the consequential loss of officer and personnel num-
required to address the systematic failures of current bers has resulted in the inadequate “manning levels” with
recruitment and retention functions of the DF HR model. significant consequential implications. Troops continue to
Part II of RACO’s submission identified the issues sup- be tasked from regional units to perform routine security
ported by stakeholder data, observations and commen- duties in Dublin Barracks while the broader impact on

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