Seán O'Riordan: Defence Forces may be on the brink of resolving its recruitment crisis 

Remuneration of close to €60,000 for a school-leaver joining the navy should also prove a major boost to its ranks.

The navy, which has been the worst hit by the personnel crisis, is experiencing a bit of a bounce back in terms of recruits, but it’s still critically short of certain specialists — and the lack of them is the primary reason the force has been reduced to just two operational ships and one in reserve.

Not long ago, it had eight operational ships in the fleet. In 1985, the navy recruited 110 personnel. However, this was during the height of a recession. And, when the economy crumbles and jobs are in short supply, the Defence Forces normally makes gains in recruitment as it is seen as a safe job.

By comparison, in 2022, the navy recruited just 28 people. Recruit classes in the old days like 1985 were often 40-plus strong. More recently, they have been as low as four.

But there is a sea-change and it’s expected recruitment will move in a positive direction in 2024, with 35 to 40 people expected to start the next recruitment class in March.

In the meantime, there are 23 recruits in training.

Life at sea is not easy. The weather in the Atlantic can be very challenging and being away from family for days on end isn’t easy.

However, the recent announcement that the Government is doubling the navy’s patrol duty allowance (PDA) is definitely going to make a navy career far more attractive for young people.

It couldn’t come at a better time for the latest batch of recruits who will complete their training shortly. The doubling of the allowance kicked in on January 1. With that increase, most enlisted personnel in the navy now earn nearly €60,000 per annum.

Meet some of the new recruits 

Nicole Neary

One of those just starting out on a career in the Defence Forces is Nicole Neary, 23, from Co Roscommon.

She has no family connection with the military and was going to embark on a chef’s course in a college in Athlone. That was until she decided “to challenge myself” with a tougher career.

“I just wanted to give it a go,” she said. “It’s tougher than I thought, but it’s really rewarding. My younger brother, Keith, 21, has talked about joining and I convinced him to go for it.

“It’s great meeting new people and the highlight for me has been to prove I’m able for this [career],” Nicole said.

She wants to train as a chef in the navy and they’ll be only too delighted to help her, as they’re critically short of chefs.

David Khaliman

David Khaliman, 19, from Ballinasloe, Co Galway does have military service in his genes — from relatives who served in the army in Belarus. He came to live in Ireland when he was three.

David said he was once “a shy lad,” but that is difficult to believe as you can see him bursting with confidence.

This he puts down to the camaraderie in the Defence Forces.

His ambition is to join the navy’s diving section, which is also short of personnel.

Ciarán Ryan

They’re also critically short of electricians, so it was a godsend when one ‘sparky’ decided to give up civvy street for a life at sea.

Ciarán Ryan, 29, from Co Tipperary, worked all over Ireland as an electrician since leaving school. He saw the military job vacancy advertised online and decided to go for it.

“I thought the job would be interesting and my sea legs are fine,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to a career at sea. And, with the PDA rising to €20,000, it’s certainly a good time to join.”

Thomas Geary

Another trainee, Thomas Geary, 18, from Dungarvan, Co Waterford, admitted that he was never on a boat or ship in his life until he signed up for the navy. Nor does he have any relatives in the force.

“I’m loving it,” Thomas said. “Every day is making me a better man.

"It’s a bit about making my parents proud of me as well. It’s great because I always wanted to do something meaningful and this is it.”

Military jobs are now more attractive 

A newly-qualified recruit in the Naval Service now gets slightly over €39,000 per year basic wage, while a school leaver who becomes an officer gets €41,962 and a sub lieutenant (graduate) starts at €47,245.

In addition to this, those who undertake 165 days per year patrolling at  sea per year will earn an extra €20,565, and an officer will earn an additional €20,570.

The jobs have now become highly attractive, especially as many are living in military bases with seriously subsidised food and accommodation.

In an era when rents have gone through the roof, they pay just €4 per week for their digs and €40 for all their meals.

More than 200 personnel are living in the navy headquarters in Haulbowline in Cork Harbour. Victorian-era blocks there are being upgraded to provide space for more.

Plans are in place to renovate what the navy calls Block 4. This will give further accommodation for over 60 personnel.

Also in the infrastructure plan is the renovation of a building to provide living-in quarters for 25 to 30 cadets.

The navy is also exploring options for moving towards a more modern, diverse, and inclusive navy — such as a multidenominational prayer room/spiritual space, new gym facilities, creche, on-site physiotherapy facilities, and expanded hospital infrastructure.

Living on the job might not sound like a bundle of laughs. 

But when you consider the substantial saving on rent compared to outside world there’s also plenty on the navy base to occupy yourself such as a gym, cardio room and weights room, football pitch, expanding wi-fi services, and occupational medical care available to every serving member.

In addition, the army is also getting a recruitment boost which it hasn’t seen for some time.

Commandant Tim Egar, who acts as press officer for 1 Brigade, which covers the southern part of the country, confirmed to the Irish Examiner that they’d seen a jump in both the numbers of potential applicants logging on to their recruiting platform and, more importantly, the numbers of those actually presenting to the barracks for the first round of their tests.

Just recently they had 35 potential applicants attend for a recruitment programme in Collins Barracks, Cork, of which a total of 31 passed both their fitness tests and their interview.

“Those 31 will be added to our 37 potential applicants who have previously passed their fitness tests and interview,” Commandant Egar said.

“That gives us a total of 68 names who, once they pass their medical tests and the vetting process, will be eligible to receive an offer from the Defence Forces to enlist. These stats are very encouraging.

“In addition to this, our PMS [the personnel management system office, which deals with all aspects of recruiting] has seen a substantial increase in requests from career seminars and third-level establishments for a Defence Forces presence at their events,” he said.

“Also, the PMS office is co-ordinating two or three school visits per week where we send out a team to talk to the young students as part of their career guidance process.

“As you can see, there has been a verifiable increase in interest from young men and women who are engaging with the Defence Forces and we are confident this will translate into higher recruitment figures for us in 2024,” he added.

While things seem to be looking up, that corner could have — and should have — been turned far earlier.

The personnel crisis was well forecast by the two military representative associations (Raco for officers, and PDForra for enlisted personnel) for nearly a decade.

The combined absolute minimum strength of the country’s military should have been 9,500. The Government has now committed to increasing that to a minimum of 11,500 by 2028, accepting that it is needed following a detailed assessment of the military in a report compiled by Irish and foreign military experts.

The decline in numbers can be seen year on year since 2015 when they stood at 9,350.

By the following year, they’d dropped to 9,183 and 9,172 in 2017. By 2019, they were at 9,050.

In 2020, the decline accelerated to 8,738 and went to 8,622 the following year, and to 8,498 in 2023.

Although end-of-year figures for 2023 are not yet officially available, it is understood that the combined strength of Ireland’s Defence Forces now stands at around 7,650.

PDForra president Mark Keane, whose association represents around 6,500 military personnel, said 2023 had been a very productive year in terms of industrial relations for the military.

“It saw the publication of the Independent Review Group (IRG). This will see the Defence Forces undergo a process of transformational change and work to this end has already begun throughout the organisation,” Mr Keane said.

“In February [2023], there was the publication of the Government’s Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces (COFDF).

“This we strongly believe is the cornerstone for the future rebuilding of the Defence Forces. As it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fully invest in both modern equipment and its most valuable assets, which are members who will operate and maintain this new, modern state-of-the-art equipment,” Mr Keane said.

He said the events of recent months once again clearly demonstrated the vital role members of the Defence Forces undertake both at home at in the service of peace in some of the troubled lands in the world.

“This was very much to the forefront in the successful detention of the MV Mathew cargo ship which was a multiservice-led operation,” Mr Keane said.

“This is further evidence of the need to maintain investment in equipment as outlined in the COFDF. Coupled with this is the need to implement a meaningful retention policy, as these are needed if we are to stem the tide of highly skilled and motivated personnel leaving.”

Mr Keane said the much-needed increase in the PDA for his Naval Service members must be the first of many steps needed to address the ongoing issues.

“This goes some way to compensate those serving afloat in at times very hazardous conditions,” he said.

“Currently, work is ongoing to implement the Working Time Directive across the three arms of the Defence Forces. This we believe will be a very welcome development in compensating our members for the excess hours they currently undertake. Naturally enough this will lend itself to a better work/life balance which is a positive development for our members and their families.

“We firmly believe that 2024 will give us an opportunity to make further improvements for our members as we approach the implementation of a new National Pay Agreement and further recommendations outlined in the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces should start coming online.

“What’s needed now is to fully engage with the wider military family, and start the process of rejuvenation as we plan for the next phase in the long and rich tapestry of service and history of the Defence Forces.

“Whilst we look back on a very successful and productive year, we look forward to delivering further for our members and their families, as we once again will see the Defence Forces fully represent the society, we have served for over 100 years and will continue to serve,” Mr Keane added.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Connor King, general secretary of the 1,100-strong officers’ association Raco, said his association’s members are increasingly focused on attaining fundamental employment rights enjoyed by most workers in the State and note the clear impact that the absence of these Working Time Directive (WTD) rights can have on the morale, wellbeing, and retention.

“Our members note and acknowledge the work of military management and the Department of Defence in seeking to implement the recommendations of both the Commission on the Defence Forces and the Independent Review Group,” Lieut Col King said.

We welcome the strong commitments made by Government to urgent implementation of the WTD, and we’re immensely proud of the tireless efforts of Defence Forces representative associations in advancing the introduction of this basic HR norm which, if implemented fairly, will be a game-changer for morale, certainty and work/life balance.

“We need to embed a culture of accountability and reward for the time and efforts of all military personnel,” he added.

In addition, Lieut Col King said Raco looks forward to the commencement of the statutory tribunal of inquiry arising from the report of the IRG, which must establish the facts and bring closure to victims of bullying, harassment and sexual harassment without delay.

“Raco has stressed the critical importance of robust and well-resourced supervision, mentoring and governance for the effective administration of complaints, and elimination of inappropriate behaviour and called on the new oversight body to provide effective, credible oversight of staffing levels, as a key to the maintenance of effective governance and dignity in the workplace,” Lieut Col King said.