Niall O'Connor At the Raco conference

A GROUP REPRESENTING military officers has said its members have lost trust in government because of “the undermining” of basic mechanisms designed to raise their concerns.

The annual delegate conference of the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO) takes place today and Wednesday in Trim, Co Meath.

RACO represents 1,300 serving officers and cadets of the Permanent Defence Force, from cadets in training to colonels and Naval Service captains.

The event will see members raise claims that the leaders of operations to protect events taking place during Ireland’s EU presidency are not being paid adequately for working 24-hour duties.

They are also calling for a review of post-2013 pensions, the conditions of which they say are causing officers to leave the services, resulting in a significant retention crisis when it comes to highly-trained personnel.

There will also be discussions on inadequate cadet pay, calls for greater transparency on vacancies and promotions, and calls to modernise Defence Forces accommodation.

Minister for Defence Helen McEntee will address the conference and RACO have said it will raise “significant concerns around continuing industrial relations failures in the Defence sector”.

During the conference President of RACO Lieutenant Colonel Martin Ryan will raise significant operational impacts caused by staffing issues. 

He will also look at what he believes is the failure by the government to implement key recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces, the landmark 2022 report that set out recommendations on how Ireland’s military structures could be transformed. 

“At a time when Europe is putting all its focus on defence and security, Ireland is reneging on commitments to members of the Irish Defence Forces.

“We need government to deliver on their promises, win back trust from our members and show a willingness to collaborate on key issues that seem to be deliberately drawn out,” Ryan said in advance of the conference.  

Raco General Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Conor King said that the issues to be discussed at the conference are a range of problems “that are quite frankly being ignored and thwarted by Government”.

“There has been a complete undermining of Defence Forces industrial relations mechanisms, and the mood among our membership is one of frustration and distrust with Government, reflective of the broader industrial relations climate across the public sector.

“The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has refused to appoint an Adjudicator for our Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for the last 16 months, there’s been a marked lack of progress on Local Bargaining, and our own Department continues to refuse to engage on February’s European Committee of Social Rights unanimous overtime ruling.

“This frustration is exacerbated by the refusal to pay allowances for additional hours worked for the EU Presidency and a promise on Cadet Pay, not yet delivered,” he said. 

King added that RACO will question the government’s commitment to the rights of military personnel to achieve better pay and conditions in the face of “such deliberate moves” to frustrate and deny process, which “can only damage morale and retention”.

Military personnel are banned from strike action, and King explained that there are mechanisms designed not to limit their ability to raise concerns. 

“The experience of members is that the formal mechanisms intended to ensure their work, responsibility and commitment is recognised have been fatally undermined, through a lack of consultation and engagement, leading to many unresolved issues,” he added.