Óráid
Statement by the Tánaiste at PDFORRA Annual Delegate Conference 2023
Le: Aire Cosanta; Micheál Martin
Foilsithe
An t-eolas is déanaí
Teanga: Níl leagan Gaeilge den mhír seo ar fáil.
Le: Aire Cosanta; Micheál Martin
Foilsithe
An t-eolas is déanaí
Teanga: Níl leagan Gaeilge den mhír seo ar fáil.
Check against delivery
President, Secretary General of the department, General Secretary, Chief of Staff, Defence Force Representatives, distinguished guests and conference delegates.
First of all thank you for your welcome. It is a great pleasure and honour for me, as Minister for Defence, to be given this opportunity - my first - to address your Annual Delegate Conference.
We are in an era of significant change for our entire Defence Forces community in Ireland.
Today I wish to speak with you on a number of the key issues and challenges facing us in the months and years ahead.
The recent Report of the Independent Review Group (IRG), which I will talk about in a few moments, is the most pressing of these. I also want to update delegates on the ongoing implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces Report.
We can all agree that the challenges we face are considerable, in terms of implementing the recommendations of the IRG and CoDF Reports, and in terms of addressing ongoing retention and recruitment issues.
I firmly believe however, that by addressing the cultural issues raised in the IRG Report, and by progressing recommendations in the CoDF, we will succeed in transforming our Defence Forces, ensuring them as an employer of choice.
I am confident that, working together, we can address these challenges and renew our purpose for the years ahead.
Our Defence Forces are made up, in the overwhelming majority, of men and women who have made the decision to pursue a career in the service and security of our country.
I understand that everyone here shares my view that the health, sustainability and strength of our Defence Forces is a question of fundamental national importance, and on this note, I want to record my appreciation for the seriousness with which your Association has approached the Report of the IRG.
The Report raises the most profound issues, and I know you share my reaction of shock and dismay at its content and conclusions.
People are understandably dismayed that such appalling practices took place and continue today in such a vital arm of the State.
I know that you, and thousands of your serving and former colleagues, are disappointed and angry that the Institution that you are proud to serve in has been let down by those who have behaved in such inappropriate and unacceptable ways.
This moment of reckoning, this catalyst for change, has come about, first and foremost, because of the personal courage and resilience of those, including some of those in this room, who have made the difficult decision to share their personal stories.
I want to take this opportunity to again express my deep appreciation to all the groups, including the Representative Associations, serving and former personnel, Women of Honour, Women and Men of Honour, who have come forward.
What’s important now is that we quickly build on the work of the Report, and a Statutory Inquiry is one of the logical and necessary next steps.
This Inquiry will be established to examine the effectiveness of the complaints processes in the Defence Forces and to address workplace issues relating to discrimination, bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct.
Our end goal has to be a safe workplace where self-worth and dignity is actively promoted and mutual respect becomes a dominant feature in an organisation which is open to change.
I want a career in the Defence Forces to be one where every individual feels valued, respected and recognised for the positive contribution they are making to the country’s security.
The establishment and work of the External Oversight Body recommended in the Report will be a critical element in achieving this goal, and this Body, under the Independent Chair, Professor Brían McCraith, has already commenced its work.
The implementation of the IRG’s recommendations will require a considerable and shared effort, not least on the part of the Defence Forces’ leadership.
I’m confident, following extensive discussions with Military Management, that the scale of what is needed is understood.
PDFORRA leadership will also play a key role here and I will continue engagement on the implementation of the IRG recommendations going forward.
I have specifically sought the views of all stakeholders, including PDFORRA, on the draft Terms of Reference for a Statutory Inquiry and I look forward to receiving those views.
The last few months have been a very challenging period for the Defence Forces. But for the good, professional people of integrity who serve, it also marks a new start. For the perpetrators of any form of unacceptable, misogynistic or bullying behaviour, this is the end.
Let me be clear, such perpetrators must have no place and no future in Óglaigh na hÉireann.
As a government, we have made it clear that we will make the unprecedented investment necessary to build a Defence Forces that is fit for purpose and worthy of the oath that you swear.
The government’s decision last year to move to Level of Ambition 2 of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces is a reflection of that.
Delegates, as you are aware, there are quite a number of significant recommendations contained in the Commission’s Report.
Of these, thirty-eight early actions were identified for immediate progression.
One of the key early actions is the development of a detailed implementation plan, which will set out how the report’s recommendations will be delivered over the next number of years.
The Strategic Framework we are putting in place to drive these recommendations through will also be an important enabling mechanism for delivery of the IRG’s actions.
My priority is to ensure that there is one overall Strategic Plan for the transformation of the Defence Forces, fully understood by everyone, that has the appropriate governance and reporting mechanisms, and is properly resourced.
Of the Commission’s Early Actions, 80% have been completed, including a number that have had a direct positive impact on your members.
These include the removal of the requirement for a Private 3 Star/Able Seaman to ‘mark time’, and payment of the full rate of Military Service Allowance applicable.
These measures alone have resulted in starting pay for a three star private commencing at:
The long-standing request of your Association for associate membership of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has also been delivered on.
This allowed your Association to take part in last year’s public service pay negotiations - on an extension to the Building Momentum pay agreement - under the ICTU umbrella.
This extension allowed for increases in pay of 6.5% over the lifetime of the agreement, until the end of this year.
Discussions on a new pay deal will shortly commence, with your Association continuing to represent your interests as part of the ICTU delegation.
That being said, I know that there are additional Commission actions that PDFORRA is keen to see implemented and I want to reassure you that as Minister for Defence I am pressing for progress on all of the Commission recommendations.
I know that the current two-tier system of provision of secondary medical care to members has been a particular frustration, so I am very pleased this afternoon to confirm that I have secured Agreement with my government colleagues to enable all members of the Defence Forces to benefit from the same access to private healthcare as officers.
There remains some work to be done by officials on implementation of the decision, but the decision has been made and resources allocated.
This will be of immense benefit to the ranks represented by you in PDFORRA, who will be able to avail of referrals to private consultants and hospitals, facilitating faster access to treatment and recovery.
This is in addition to the comprehensive package of primary healthcare benefits already available to members of the PDF, and is further enhanced by the Defence Forces dental service, which has recently been the subject of a comprehensive review.
Separate to the CoDF recommendations, extensions of service limits for Privates, Corporals and Sergeants have also been delivered upon in the last year.
An interim arrangement was secured with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, last October, allowing for the retention in service, to the end of 2024, of post 1 January 1994 Sergeants, who would otherwise be retired on age grounds this year and next.
I am pleased to have recently secured sanction to extend this arrangement from Sergeants to Privates and Corporals, until the end of 2024.
The issue of mandatory retirement ages and fast accrual pensions across the uniformed services is being considered by an Interdepartmental Working Group.
My department continues to participate in those discussions. Having had the opportunity to meet with PDFORRA leadership in the recent past, I know that these are issues which significantly affect members.
I want to reassure you that fast progress on the issue of mandatory retirement is a priority for me and I continue to engage with Minister Paschal Donohoe on the matter.
On the Working Time Directive, I know that this matter is of great importance to your members, and rest assured, your message has been received and is understood.
I wish to underline to delegates that I and the government remain fully committed to ensuring that the provisions of the Directive are applied, where appropriate, to the Defence Forces.
This is in line with the government commitment to remove the blanket exemption in the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997 for both the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochana, and the recommendations in the Commission on the Defence Forces.
I know that delegates appreciate the complexity of these issues, given the specific nature of military service.
However, I wish to again emphasise that the health and safety of personnel in the Defence Forces, as enshrined in the Directive, remains an absolute priority, and I have directed both department officials and military management to progress to implementation as soon as possible.
I wish to underline that the range of measures I have referred to are all part of a once-in-a-generation transformation, and efforts of this scale take time, energy and unwavering commitment from all stakeholders, including the leadership and membership of PDFORRA.
I am confident that, together, we can, and will realise our shared ambition for a transformed Defence Forces.
Ireland’s ongoing excellent reputation in the field of international peacekeeping has continued over the past year.
Peacekeeping is the most important international action for good that any nation can participate in and this is something for which the members of our Defence Forces properly receive great credit here in Ireland and internationally.
It is an important service that comes with significant risk, and this risk became a tragic reality last December when eight personnel from the 121st Battalion were involved in an incident resulting in the tragic death of Private Seán Rooney and injuries being sustained by three other members of our Defence Forces.
I am particularly mindful that the homecoming of the 121st battalion in the coming weeks, will serve as a further poignant reminder for the Rooney family of their terrible loss.
I had the opportunity to travel to Lebanon in January of this year, to offer not only my sympathies to all of Private Rooney’s comrades, but also to lay a wreath at the memorial dedicated to all those members of the Irish Defence Forces who have given their lives in the service of the UN in Lebanon.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Private Rooney’s killing is progressing, and I have made it very clear in person to the Lebanese authorities, including to the Lebanese Minister for Defence, that no stone should be left unturned in this investigation, and that the people responsible for the death of Private Rooney must be brought to justice.
I know also that you will share with me in wishing Trooper Kearney continued positive progress with his recovery.
Delegates will also be aware that following the conclusion of an assessment of Defence Forces’ current commitments and to ensure that the Defence Forces have the capacity available to fulfil their commitment to the EU Battlegroup 2024/2025, it has been decided to withdraw the 130-strong Infantry Group personnel from UNDOF with effect from April 2024.
The withdrawal of troops from UNDOF will also allow us an opportunity to undertake a process of consolidation with regard to our overseas commitments and to prepare for future peace-keeping missions.
This decision will also relieve ongoing challenges in respect of the filling of specialist roles in overseas deployments. It will reduce the requirement for mandatory selection of personnel in certain ranks or skill sets and it will facilitate personnel to participate in training and personal development activities to increase skill levels.
In conclusion, we are in a period of great challenge, but also a time of great opportunity.
I am confident that PDFORRA, representing the vast majority of our Defence Forces personnel, will continue to play its constructive role in bringing about the changes that are required to deliver a successful future for our Defence Forces.
I want Óglaigh na hÉireann to be the employer of choice for all those interested in a career in the service and protection of our country.
There is a body of work that needs to be done to arrive at that position, but I know that working together in a spirit that honours the service of those who came before, and being ambitious about what is possible in the future, we will achieve that.
Finally, I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to address you here today in Trim.
I wish to thank the Organising Committee also for their assistance in facilitating my speech today, as opposed to tomorrow. This is appreciated.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend tomorrow’s Gala dinner, due to scheduled Government Business, but I would like to wish you, delegates, my genuine good wishes and the very best of luck with the remainder of your Conference.
Go raibh maith agaibh go léir.