Brendan Smith warns of unprecedented retention crisis in Defence Forces
Brendan Smith told the committee the permanent defence forces face severe morale and retention problems and urged government action to address an "unprecedented retention crisis". He raised concerns about loss of corporate knowledge, weakened security-clearance practices in recruitment, and inadequate training timelines.
Committee response
The committee thanked the presenters and committed to pressing the Department of Defence and the minister. Brendan Smith said he would write to the minister to raise specific issues, including a defence pay review body, pay and conditions, retention measures and pensions.
Morale, retention and capability
He described a very bleak picture at all ranks, highlighting very low morale, the loss of expertise and experience, and the risk of a completely demoralised defence forces. He stressed that society needs a properly, strongly and adequately resourced permanent defence force.
Security clearance and training concerns
He repeated concerns raised about a dilution of security clearance measures in recruitment and flagged inadequate training timelines. He also cited a retired senior officer's comments in broadcast media that memos to government often show little military input, which he said would be disappointing if true.
Acknowledgement of service and international role
Brendan Smith paid tribute to the work of permanent and reserve defence forces over decades, including during the period of subversion on the island from the late 1960s to the late 1990s, and to those who served on overseas and peacekeeping missions. He said the daily, often unseen work of the defence forces protects society and enhances the country's reputation.
Next steps and engagement
The committee will follow up with further engagement with the association, other representative bodies and the minister, and encouraged additional submissions via the Clerk of the Committee. The meeting was adjourned pending further formal and informal engagements.
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On behalf of the committee, can I thank you for your presentation here today. It paints a very bleak picture of the situation at all ranks within our permanent defence forces, but very low morale, and you raise questions in regard to the well-being of officers, of soldiers, of sailors, of aircrew, all aspects of our defence forces, and of course the loss of corporate knowledge and the loss of expertise, and experience, that's a huge blow to our permanent defence forces, and the government will have to take action to deal with this unprecedented crisis, unprecedented retention crisis that you reference on a number of occasions, and we cannot have a completely demoralised defence forces for the good of our country. It's disappointing to learn, as well as my colleagues referred to, an obsession by the department with control with micromanagement. We will be putting those questions to the department and to the minister in our next engagement as well. We will follow that up. And I heard a former army officer make comments in the broadcast media within the last few days, that when a memo goes to government, there's very little input from the military side, it's a Department of Defence memo, rather than a major contribution being made by the military. That was a comment that was made by a retired senior officer. If that's true, then that's disappointing as well. But for society, we need a properly and strongly and adequately resourced permanent defence forces. And oftentimes at this committee, we refer to the great service that our permanent defence forces give to us. I'm very conscious where I come from of the subversion that existed on our island over a period of 30 years, from the late 1960s to the late 1990s. And I recall very well the huge contribution of members of the permanent defence force, members of all-garde Sheikana, members of the reserve defence forces as well, in dealing with those dangers that confronted our society. And, of course, the great work that's ongoing, that has been done over the decades by our army, it has also enhanced our international reputation as a country. We're very proud of the women and men who have served in overseas missions and peacekeeping missions in dangerous situations over the decades as well. And we compliment them on their huge contribution to Ireland's international reputation and our national reputation as well. One of the comments you made early on was that there's a dilution of security clearance measures in recruiting people. That would have to raise alarm bells. You're suggesting, if I'm reading your comments right, that adequate security precautions are not being taken out in relation to the recruitment of some individuals in the Department of Defence Forces. I would sincerely hope that we're not going that road. And you also question, you raise the problems that arise from inadequate training timelines as well. They're all issues that have to be of concern to us as an Oireachtas, as a society. And all we can do is say that we'd be very glad to support directly to the Minister and to the Department the issues that you have raised here with us today. And as my colleague Deputy Chambers said, and Senator Laban as well, as a committee we would be glad to continue to have engagement with your association and also with your fellow representative associations as well. I think it's important that you have the opportunity here to outline the issues of concern and that we have that engagement as well. And it informs us better in raising parliamentary questions and in other Dáil debates as well. Can I just say that we will raise with the agreement of committee, I will write to the Minister outlining a few particular issues that you raised in regard to a defence pay review body. I presume with regard to pay, you would also include pay and conditions, review of services, pay and conditions, and also the need to have adequate retention measures and the need to deal with the pensions issue that you outlined as well. So we will raise those particular issues. We will have engagement again with the Minister, hopefully at an early date. The committee has been before us at this committee on a number of occasions over the past few months, but you can take it that we will write to the committee raising the issues that I have just outlined and that we will have further direct engagement at committee level with the Minister as well. And if there are other issues that you wish to bring to our attention, you can communicate them to the Clerk of the Committee. And all of that correspondence is brought to all individual members and it's a useful information process for us as well. So I just want to thank you again for your presentation and your engagement and the engagement of my fellow committee members on this very important issue as well. And to just to put on the record again, our appreciation of the work that our permanent defence forces and the reserve defence forces do on a daily basis on behalf of all of us, work that we never hear about, but it's protecting our society, protecting our country and protecting us. This meeting now stands adjourned until 9.30, Thursday, 13th of June. And as we discussed earlier, we have a number of other informal meetings between now and the next formal committee meeting. Thank you very much.
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