DF Commission Report

Dohvolle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121883407#Comment_121883407

But that article was speculation. It was never recommended BY Codf.

Grassy Knoll

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121764502#Comment_121764502

good point re tyre kickers, or even if most of those are a ‘fit’ for AGS ? …. No point recruiting lemons. Re the wider point of DF recruitment the wider full employment piece will IMHO continue to create difficulties. Hard to see us coming anyway close to hitting the targets

Grassy Knoll

Interesting report from German - some has a familiar ring ...

https://www.ft.com/content/fcac6167-282f-4bc7-b523-e858db55accb

German military still faxes documents and cannot radio allies, official warns Armed forces’ communications systems in woeful state and in need of ‘mammoth’ investment, says commissioner overseeing Bundeswehr As of the end of 2023, Germany employs 181,000 soldiers but 20,000 roles remain unfilled German military still faxes documents and cannot radio allies, official warns on x (opens in a new window) German military still faxes documents and cannot radio allies, official warns on facebook (opens in a new window) German military still faxes documents and cannot radio allies, official warns on linkedin (opens in a new window) Share Save current progress 100% Sam Jones in Berlin YESTERDAY 146 Print this page Radios that cannot communicate with allies; paper-only medical records that need to be mailed; military documents sent by fax, rather than secure email. The German armed forces’ digital and communications systems are in a woeful state, Eva Högl, the commissioner responsible for overseeing the Bundeswehr, warned on Tuesday. Her comments come a week after a Russian wiretapping scandal embarrassed military leaders and plunged the government of Olaf Scholz into fresh political turmoil. “This urgently needs to be changed . . . and it has to be done quickly,” said Högl, an independent official appointed by the German parliament, when presenting her annual report. “Why are we where we are? Because not enough investment was made in the past . . . we are now realising the seriousness of this.” Högl warned of a “mammoth” investment challenge still facing the German military two years after Scholz’s promise of a Zeitenwende — a major turning point — in German security policy, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. “The Bundeswehr is under enormous pressure,” Högl said, reeling off a list of problems caused by years of under-investment, from “mouldering” and “dilapidated” barracks to a potentially disastrous shortfall in personnel. The digital problems facing the military, detailed in the 175-page report, were particularly glaring: barracks and training facilities that have no WiFi, and in some that do, soldiers have to pay for its use. On one Nato exercise last year troops were using unencrypted radios from the 1980s that could not communicate with allies. Medical records are still kept entirely on paper — raising the question of how quickly doctors treating seriously injured troops on the battlefield could expect to receive them in a real war. This year Germany hit its Nato target of spending 2 per cent on defence for the first time since the end of the cold war, thanks to a huge €100bn special fund set up by Scholz’s government to pump urgently needed funds into military reform. The fruits of the additional spending are now beginning to be felt — although much has been allocated to long-term procurement projects. With the fund already due to be exhausted by 2027, military experts are increasingly asking what will come next — and pointing to huge capability deficits that still exist in German’s armed forces. “Getting the Bundeswehr fully operational . . . will continue to cost a lot of money,” Högl said. “The Bundeswehr still has too little of everything: there is a lack of ammunition, spare parts, radios, tanks, ships and aircraft.” The commissioner visited 90 different military bases last year in Germany and abroad and received statements and evidence from just under 4,000 troops. Alongside digital and communications problems, the commissioner cited recruitment and infrastructure as the two biggest challenges for the Bundeswehr. “On the subject of personnel, I have no good news and no good tidings,” she reported, pointing to the fact that Germany’s armed forces actually shrank in size last year, rather than growing as is urgently needed. As of the end of 2023, the armed forces employ 181,000 soldiers. Twenty-thousand roles are unfilled, Högl said. Recommended The Big Read Will Germany deliver on its grand military ambitions? Poor infrastructure hinders military readiness and also adds to the personnel problem, she continued, pointing to how unattractive most bases were as places for people to live. Money was only part of the problem in both instances, she said. Often German military bureaucracy and “sluggishness” was the more immediate challenge. At least €50bn is needed to be spent on upgrading infrastructure in 7,000 separate projects, for example, but the current military organisation responsible is only able to handle €1.3bn of projects annually. She praised raising investments that have finally started to arrive and lauded defence minister Boris Pistorius, who she said recognised the problems well and was working to address them. But, she concluded: “We do not yet have fully operational armed forces.”

roadmaster

With a small reshuffle in government likely i wonder could we see Defence get a full minister so some one can drive the commission report?

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121922825#Comment_121922825

I imagine the reshuffle would be relatively limited to the FG side, not very hopefully defence would be elevated.

Grassy Knoll

Ya I’d say the current arrangement is as good as it gets. Tanaiste would be a heavyweight, as these things go, for all the good this does.

Dohvolle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121927979#Comment_121927979

Problem is in addition to being the Defence minister, and Tainiste, he is also minister for foreign affairs, which is one of the busiest departments in Govt, particularly with the Brexit to and fro still going on. As Party leader, a lot of his time is spent pressing flesh with the grassroots, trying to keep councillor timmy "potholes" O'Hochtandomhlaing from defecting to the Rural Independents. Ad former Taoiseach, his party will come to him first, and not taoiseach, with any national issue.

Its time to restore it as a standalone ministry. We may have had some howlers of ministers in recent years, but we also had a few useful ones. Tony Killeen, for example, got more big ticket items over the line during his short term in office than many others managed in 2 or 3 dail sessions. Willie O dea, on the other hand, was a procrastinator, and failed to make a single decision of consequence during his time as minister.

Larbre34

There will be no significant reshaping of portfolios <12 months from an election.

Personally I have no major issue with Defence and Foreign Affairs being a joint portfolio. I cannot envisage any scenario where any current Minister, if in charge of Defence alone, could have advanced the programme of change any further than it has been.

In any case, in the current geopolitical situation, traditional Irish foreign affairs concerns have been largely replaced with issues which are matters of Defence also.

roadmaster

As per the commission report the ATCP role is been wound down around the country. The 2 million that is mentioned for portlaoise is that out of the DOJ budget?

CrabRevolution

Maximum age for recruitment into military reserves to be set at 53 (irishexaminer.com)

Not sure how much practical difference it will make, as I don't see huge numbers of people in their 40s and 50s wanting to join the reserves. They mention it as a way to get former PDF&RDF members into the reserves, but they can currently re-enlist up until age 45 anyway.

A second thing I note is that the outsourcing of Medicals has been presented by the government as a done deal, with Micheál Martin stating in the Dáil earlier this month that "There is a contract in place to outsource the Part 2 medicals over a four-year period for both the PDF and the RDF, amounting to some 10,000 medicals in total...".

But from the attached article; "(Neil Richardson,RDFRA Rep) said that a proposal to outsource medical examinations to a private company had not come to fruition."

So who is lying....?

Larbre34

Who gives a **** who does the medicals so long as they don't form a blockage in the system?

But more widely, medical plans for all DF members and their immediate families need to be guaranteed to a gold standard to improve recruitment and retention. If we cannot compete with certain sectors taking military talent (and we really cannot), then we have to take a holistic approach to looking after their life needs, so that they will not have any concerns with housing or health or providing for their families, whether in service at home or overseas.

CrabRevolution

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121934551#Comment_121934551

But they do form a blockage in the system. They're the source of the biggest delay in the recruiting process.

mupper2

paschaldonohoe.ie/minister-donohoe-announces-additional-funding-of-e2-25-billion-for-public-capital-projects-out-to-2026/

*Funding the Level of Ambition 2 programme in the Defence Forces*

*Revised NDP Capital funding for defence

2024 -€ 176m

2025- € 215m

2026- € 220m*

Dohvolle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121946735#Comment_121946735

Assuming this was drafted while Leo was still leader, can we expect much change with Simon 2 as Taoiseach?

Larbre34

He's going to be Taoiseach for 11 months. Assuming the Tánaiste's portfolios do not change, then I can't see the general approach of this Government changing very much either.

Will be interesting to see what Harris' remarks around policy will be when he is appointed.

roadmaster

The increase for next year for the extra 2 helicopters, MRV downpayment and Radar downpayment?

jonnybigwallet

If it'll even stretch that far!

vswr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121887615#Comment_121887615

at least they still use paragraphs

Larbre34

This seems to be the issue all over NATO's European members, including Britain.

Only Macron is trying to alert people about it, but that is largely because he wants to put the spotlight on Marine Le Pen's Putin affiliations ahead of the Euro elections.

kenny80

HSenior army officer slams government defence plan as 'catastrophic' and 'act of self-harm'
https://jrnl.ie/6348721

jonnybigwallet

Lets see if Varadkars successor takes any of this on board. Not very optimistic myself.

roadmaster

So at the end of Q1 they were suppouse to have.

RDF Vision & Regeneration

Cyber Defence Update

Armour needs phase complete

Naval Fleet Needs phase well on the way

Extra Medium lift Needs Phase ( To be bought in Q4)

vswr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122000024#Comment_122000024

lets do nothing…. mission accomplished…. tea and medals all round

Uinseann_16

The medical's are causing a huge issue with recruitment lads are getting fed up of waiting for dates for medicals 2-6 months I've heard in some cases

Along with that many serving PDF don't have up to date medicals because of the backlog... No medical no courses , no medical no overseas etc

It's a role that can be most certainly completed by a civilian but that would just make too much sense ...

Manic Moran

FWIW, we use a mix of army personnel and civilian contractors to run our annual medicals here in the US. Maybe 60/40 at a rough guess.

roadmaster

I see Mr Martin is off worrying about Gaza today. If he only put a fraction of the passion he has for Gaza in to his part time job as Defence Minister we might see more movement on the Commission report

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122051966#Comment_122051966

Looks at the number of protests, debates, airtime etc the Gaza conflict and Palestine/Israel gets compared to the state of the DF…

Sadly he’s focused on where the majority of voters are focused on.

roadmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122052601#Comment_122052601

I would say elements of the media are more interested in palestine and i dont think to many election candiates are been asked about palestine when looking for votes.Unfortuntly i married in 2 family that are grass roots SF and they cant understand why there elected people are going on about palaestine as that wont sort out the issues that matter

roadmaster

Taken from DOD website:

The Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Michael Martin, today welcomed record levels of capital funding for Defence over the next two years.

The revised allocations of €215 million in 2025 and €220 million in 2026 will boost ongoing efforts to modernise and upgrade equipment and infrastructure in the Defence Forces.

Announcing the increased capital allocations, the Tánaiste said:

“The increased capital funding is a clear demonstration of Government’s strong commitment to invest in, and support, the transformation of our Defence Forces into a modern, agile military force, serving at home and overseas, while also responding to increasingly more complex global security threats and events.”

The increased capital funding will accelerate transformation of the Defence Forces in line with the Strategic Framework and objectives set out in the Detailed Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces (CODF).

It will see investment in a range of equipment including Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Equipment, Helmets and Body Armour, Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear (CBRN) Equipment, and Night Vision Equipment, as well as progressing critically important equipment projects such as the development of Military Radar Systems and Sub-Sea Awareness Capabilities, Naval Fleet Management and Replacement, and the purchase of new fixed and rotary wing aircraft, including a Military Transport Aircraft

In addition, the increased allocations will accelerate progress on a significant number of Infrastructural projects over the coming years, such as;

• Upgrade and increased capacity of accommodation in Haulbowline Naval Base;
• Development of a new purpose-built Casement Military Medical Facility;
• Upgrade and Refurbishment of McKee Barracks;
• Development of new CIS Workshop Facility, Defence Forces Training Centre;
• Development of a new Army Ranger Wing (ARW) HQ Building;
• Upgrades to various accommodation, storage, training and gym facilities in military locations throughout the country

Larbre34

Absolutely nothing new. Not a line item or a project that hasn't been included in 10 different documents or releases in the last 3 years.

I really wish they'd just stop talking and get on with it. The glossy brochures being the priority over actual action, and innovation, and progress just pisses me off to high heaven.

The fingerprints of civil service inertia are all over a brain-dead press release like that, and the sooner a CHoD is appointed and his office take over planning and procurement activity the better.