DF Commission Report

Let them fight...

Given what the dod already has I don't see the sense in trying to reopen a closed barracks tbh.

I don't think these parish pumpers have the slightest clue of the kind of infrastructure that will go to make up a 21st Century Defence Forces HQ, a unit that will likely house a significant cyber defence and signal intel unit, as well as the new brass' offices and all the staff officers involved in command ,control and planning. It's not barracks that they're looking for, it's a gleaming office with a lot of secure ground around it.

Like this is the Headquarters of the British Army in Andover and it's more technology park than 19th century square bashing barracks

To my mind, the only place for a unified Defence Forces HQ to last into the 22nd Century, is on a greenfield site on The Curragh.

Big, spacious, hardened, insulated, bespoke new build, near the DoD and beside the motorway into Dublin. And best of all its already DoD land and has the DFTC and UN school in situ.

Mullingar me b0771x.

So with the new equal services will that mean less army bosses? Where in the new structure will the renamed ARW fit in will they answer to the new Chief of Defence directly?

Seems pretty much the same, both Retention and Recruitment...

Given demand and supply, I'm not surprised, and yet nobody thinks why that might have an impact on issues like housing supply...

Just wait until there's a Marshall Plan in place for Ukraine....

I'm telling ye lads, cash in your desks and get a trade!

I don't think any such arrangement will exist, because the CHoD will be of a higher rank than any of the forces' heads. And the position will likely equate with any of the senior professional roles in the public sector, like Garda Commissioner, Chief Medical Officer, Chief State Solicitor etc, 7 year permanent contract with a 3 year extension if mutually agreed.

Personally I think any EU citizen Officer with the requisite experience of strategic and change management in a senior uniformed service should be able to apply.

Chief of Staff and Chief of Defence are going to very different challenges, even for the incumbent of the former.

I listened to the committe on defence meeting yesterday this morning on my way down the country and it did not fill me with confidence seams to be lots of plans and no action.

I was trying to be postivie with SAR Top Cover you not so but turns out you are right. They are still doing full ATCP and they want out but no one can make a call. Cathal berry reckons in regards to the 3 service chiefs the government can appoint acting chiefs asap.

The primary radar seams a joke. They have more over seas trips to make to inform still.

Worst of all matt carthy of all people asked for evidence of what they have done so far and they could barely put an answer to him

I am not sure if i heard this correctly but the commite said The Minister of state at Defence apperently has no power or input to Defence Matters

Well obviously. That particular downgrading of Defence was a massive mis-step, which is one of the factors that led to the situation we are in today.

Not to mention that some of the holders of the position, albeit downgraded, were useless.

They always looked a bit feeble to me. Somebody's cast offs that were bought on the cheap. Should be OK for patrol duties in Dublin Bay!

When i listened to the meeting a lack of drive and urgency seam to be missing

Just Craughwell talking a fair bit of shyte as usual, parroting the same contrarian spoof from the IT letters page by his PANA pal and aeroplane tamperer Edward Horgan.

Not only were they consulted, but they sent a project team to NZ to assess them.

They will be an excellent asset for inshore work, a particular capability the NS had always lacked in.

I'm incredulous at people who complain they won't do anything for our EEZ security, when clearly that is not what they are intended to be used for.

A flotilla with any ambition to become a capable Naval unit needs far more than one type of ship.