Clarke welcomes new commission on Defence Forces

(Above) Deputy Sorca Clarke.

Deputy Sorca Clarke has welcomed the government's decision to establish a commission to examine the current state of the Irish Defence Forces.

Sinn Féin’s Defence spokesperson, Deputy Clarke, believes the commission presents a "unique opportunity to bring radical reform that can address the legacy of underfunding and neglect that has resulted in plummeting morale and unprecedented levels of men and women resigning their commissions".

Deputy Clarke said that her own party’s submission emphasised that now is the time to start a “new and dignified chapter that shows loyalty and respects the vital role played by rank and file soldiers, sailors and air corps of the Irish Defence Forces at home and abroad while acknowledging the previous service of veterans."

“I welcome the establishment of the commission which must also examine issues such as low pay and recruitment that has greatly impacted on the recruitment and retention of our defence force personnel. It must also address the negotiating restraints of members and affiliation with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) as championed by PDFORRA. Indeed there is an onerous responsibility on the government to make the possibility of a career in the Defence Forces a viable and attractive lifetime option for recruits and it must also address the low morale that is impacting on each of the services at every rank.

“This is a once in a generation opportunity to finally get our nation’s defence capabilities, structures, governance and staffing right. It cannot become a conversation among stakeholders that results in a consensus driven document, it must include consultation with likeminded countries overseas with comparable sized militaries and begin from first principles of what our defences forces are tasked with and what capacity and capabilities they have to do it, that means a review of the wider defence strategy.

“The commission has a huge task of work ahead and has a pivotal role in reversing the decades of underinvestment and the disastrous 2012 restructuring, the consequences of which are still with us. The commission also needs to ensure good governance models that ensure Ireland is in line with international best practices by modernising our air, land, maritime and cyber intelligence operations.”

Deputy Clarke concluded by assuring the members’ of the Defence Forces that Sinn Féin would scrutinise any proposals brought forward by the government and would be to the fore in fighting for better pay and conditions for the men and women who play such a vital role in the service of the State.

“Our Defence personnel must not,” said Deputy Clarke, “be left behind when it comes to fair pay and working conditions that at the moment are simply unfit purpose and an indictment of successive government policy decisions.”

The Commission on the Defence Forces has launched a public consultation that will run until 5th March, 2021 and is available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/1e515-commission-on-the-defence-forces/?referrer=http://www.gov.ie/codf/