More than a quarter of Defence Forces officers are contemplating resigning from the military or taking early retirement, a survey has found.
Meanwhile, about the same proportion said they anticipated serving in the Defence Forces for fewer than five more years.
The extensive survey of 644 personnel was undertaken by the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (Raco), which revealed the findings at its annual conference in Tullow, Co Carlow.
Only a fifth of those surveyed plan to serve for a full career. However, some 40% of those officers considering retirement stated a willingness to continue service in the reserves.
Almost 100% maintained the Government must do more to promote and support the Defence Forces.
One senior officer was quoted as saying: “I am tired of the Government lying to the public about our capabilities. But I believe that is down to the general staff not speaking out about the issues, afraid of upsetting the DoD [Department of Defence] and the minister.”
A junior officer added: “The Government is excellent at promoting the good work done and taking credit for it but offer zero support.”
Another said: “I think Defence Forces personnel of all ranks and services have had enough of good wishes and pats on the head. The naval service can barely put to sea, and the army is surely only a rotation or two away from not being able to staff a Unifil deployment [in Lebanon],” said another.
There has not been a full-time defence minister since 2012. Micheál Martin heads the department but also holds the portfolios of Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs. The survey found 95% of officers believe given the current geopolitical situation, a full-time appointment is crucial.
Only 52% of officers felt supported by their chain of command. Principally, this support was felt from their immediate superiors only, and not any higher-ups within the organisation. In total 33.8% felt they were not supported at all.
More than 70% are double-jobbing to fill gaps caused by the personnel crisis. Just under half of officers believe the failure to implement the Working Time Directive is a barrier to retention.
Nearly 61% do not believe current promotion arrangements for officers are suitable. Many felt promotion was too slow and a greater recognition of merit, qualifications and experience was needed.
Just under 50% had lived in barracks at some stage within the last five years. Only 1% deemed accommodation excellent, while 28% deemed it unsuitable.
Despite the concerns expressed with the current standard and availability of accommodation, nearly 80% would be willing to avail of it and pay a subsidised rate. This applied to both single and married quarters accommodation.
Officers felt strongly the military representative associations should have access to the Labour Court and Workplace Relations Commission.
Meanwhile, 81% felt the prohibition on industrial action puts the military at a disadvantage relative to other public servants. About a third believed they should be allowed to take industrial action.
