Page 3 - Signal Summer 2018

RACO

OPINION

SIGNAL

Dear Members,

The manning level crisis of the Defence Forces continues. Military management are not in a position to address the related HR issues
as Military management do not have decision-making authority to decide on “fit for purpose” HR policies. Consequently, recruitment is
failing, retention of trained and experienced professionals is failing while unsustainable numbers voluntarily exit. As identified by the
University of Limerick researchers, the “dysfunctional turnover” of staff continues, resulting in a deficit of operational leadership across
all formations and services. Inadequate remuneration and unfavourable working conditions are undoubtedly forcing the continued exit
of military professionals.

Operational capability is inextricably linked to “trained manning levels.” It is reported that Military management, in its PSPC submission
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to the Department of Defence, noted that “that the current trend of premature voluntary retirements is not sustainable, and that the rate
of staff leaving will not be alleviated solely through the current high rates of recruitment” (Irish Times, 23 April 2018). The University
of Limerick Focus Group 2017 lays bare the sad realities and perceptions of those who serve in the Defence Forces. These service
conditions continue without any response by the Defence Sector policy makers. Rather than address the underlying Defence Forces
organisational issues, the Department of Defence has chosen the alternative approach of exporting the results of policy failures to the
Public Service Pay Commission to remedy.

With respect to military service conditions, and specifically the superannuation pension anomalies of DF New Entrant officers (Post 01
Jan 2013), it is notable that DPER took a proactive approach to resolving related (but less severe) superannuation issues for other
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Public Servants in line with the Government’s Review of Barriers to Extended Compulsory Retirement in the Workforce (November
2017). In this review, the Department of Defence assumed sectoral responsibility to address this similar anomaly for Defence Forces
new entrants. However, rather than address this glaring inconsistency relative to other Public Servants, Defence sector management
has now abdicated its responsibility to deal with the issue and have subsequently handed over the matter to the Public Service
Pay Commission to remedy. Of particular note is that the Department of Defence had previously supported the payment of a
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supplementary pension due to the unique service conditions of mandatory early retirement in the Defence (Annex C to CCR421). Of
great contradiction is that none of the conditions upon which this decision was based has changed in any way.

Disappointingly, the Department of Defence now seems to be prepared to abandon this agreed position and to blithely accept that DF
new entrants are forced to pay higher contributions for a pension that is not financially viable or life sustaining until the payment of the
SPC at 66 and going to 68. This situation will indisputably shape the mindset of new entrants to career service.

This issue may not currently impact all of our members but the position of the Department of Defence and the failure to adequately
provide for the restrictive conditions of military service is a situation that is completely unacceptable to RACO. Our association will
continue to pursue a resolution to this issue on behalf of our new entrant members.

Is mise,

Lt Col Earnán Naughton
RACO General Secretary

1 Public Service Pay Commission
2 Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
3 The Department of Defence submission to the PSPC has not yet been made available to the Associations who had a submission deadline
of February 2018.

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