SO-CALLED ‘ship stoppers’, a requirement to double-job to fill the gaps across the country, and even sending aircraft abroad for maintenance – these are some of the realities for military personnel dealing with the Defence Forces recruitment crisis. 

There are also safety worries around firearm maintenance, the risk of burnout and financial burdens due to inadequate pay. 

At the PDFORRA conference in Trim, Co Meath, much of the discussions are big picture problems, but there is also insight into the individual impact of a military struggling to deal with years of neglect.

Individual Irish Defence Forces members cannot comment to the media, so instead we spoke to a number of sources across the three branches, Army, Air Corps and Naval Service, to find out what it looks like at the unit level. 

Naval Service personnel at work. Irish Defence Forces Irish Defence Forces

While members are struggling, the sources across the three branches all said that there is constant head hunting of military personnel by private sector recruiters keen to bring in the uniform veterans for their skills learned in service. 

All sources said that the main driving force behind members resigning early was the pursuit for a greater work-life balance coupled with better pay.

Speaking to two sources in the Army – they both spoke of the difficulties of retaining their colleagues and of obtaining specialist ‘techpay’ for experts in various qualifications.

The extra pay, known as techpay, comes from those members who have studied and qualified while in service. Those sources told us, they believe, the increased pay they are entitled to is not being honoured by the Department of Defence and that is causing people to look elsewhere for employment.

One source involved in a specialist area based in the Midlands said: “There are major problems of staffing levels.

“For instance there are issues in maintenance of safety standards because the soldiers who maintain those rifles have been reduced in numbers to the point where they can’t inspect guns – that causes serious risk of malfunctions and ultimately somebody is going to get hurt.”

At Infantry level the problem of numbers is seen across the country with Finner Camp one of the only barracks able to sustain a near to full level of personnel. 

“They are being moved around the country to fill the gap – they go on duty to Dublin but also non-commissioned officers are being pulled away to fill gaps in units and for training across the country.

“The reason why Donegal is close to full strength is that there are no major urban areas where there are other opportunities – that is the only reason,” a source said. 

At infantry level there is an issue whereby, to fill the gaps in foreign deployments, there is mandatory selection for specialists. There is a particular need for armoured personnel carrier drivers, sources have said.  

This mandatory selection for overseas deployments has caused some consternation for members as it was previously seen as a voluntary activity.  

Infantry soldiers in training. Irish Defence Forces Irish Defence Forces

During his speech to conference Mark Keane, President of PDFORRA, laid out the shortfall in numbers in the Irish Defence Forces.

He said that the current number of personnel employed is hovering around 7,500 which is much shorter than the agreed strength of 9,500.

“We are two thousand (2,000) personnel short, just consider that number, two thousand.

“Indeed, the current strength of the Army is 6,220, despite having an establishment of 7,520.

“The Naval Service currently has a strength of 744 personnel despite having an establishment of 1,094,” he said. 

The Government has promised that the strength of the Defence Forces would be at 11,500 personnel. 

Naval Service members said their service is the greatest affected by the retention crisis with a shortage of specialists causing just one member of the crew’s absence causing ships to not be put to sea. 

A naval source said: “In the Naval Service we call these people ‘ship stoppers’ – basically technicians like electricians and medics who do a job which no one else can do, if they are out sick or unavailable then in a normal staffed service there would be someone else. 

“But the reason why ships can’t go to sea is because there is no one to fill the gap – they are the only people to go.

“But it is worse than that now, there is the issue of staffing where, for example, there is a so-called bubble of 34 people needed to be firefighters on board, if one of those is out sick then we can’t go out, it is that simple.” 

Critically, as in other services, there are constant challenges to retention from the private sector. With companies such as Stryker in Cork and Eli Lilly actively targeting military personnel.

One source identified a problem whereby specialist members, like medics, are put on call to fill a shortfall in numbers. 

In the Air Corps the constant low retention rates of specialist technicians has caused the service to look to the private sector to fill the gap.

An Air Corps helicopter. Irish Defence Forces Irish Defence Forces

An Air Corps source said: “The biggest issue is the loss of corporate knowledge – the years of experience being trained and then just lost because of pay issues and just the added burn out rate of filling the gaps is causing a significant problem.

“There is a shortage of technicians, to solve that problem they are outsourcing maintenance. At best they come in to do the maintenance at Casement Aerodrome but also aircraft are just being sent back to the manufacturer in Spain, France or elsewhere. 

“Basically that means that aircraft is gone for six months – leaving one aircraft and if that goes down then there is nothing left.”

All members from the various services identify a key problem – the over burden on specialists to take up the slack left by resignations of their colleagues. 

One naval service member said: “I love my job and I have a huge sense of purpose from going to work everyday but it is just constant. We have to go on 72 hours notice and we end up on call to go and fill the gap.

“It means we have no way to maintain a work life balance or family life – it just feels like our loyalty is being abused. There are huge problems for single parents especially – we are completely dependent on families.

“A 16 hour day to get the work done is a normal day – it just feels like everything is done to make it difficult for us and it is wearing us down.”