I have a feeling the specifics will be gone over in multiple sub-threads, but let's use this for discussion of the report in one neat place, shall we?
Horrible-looking link to the PDF, but it works.
Let them fight...
Given what the dod already has I don't see the sense in trying to reopen a closed barracks tbh.
An its actually still DOD property despite all the pre construction work the LDA has done!
Its gas that eamon ryan wants the army out of his area and the local Green Mayor wants them in hers
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.
I didn't like to say, but that'd be the ideal spot!
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?
Interestingly I see an Garda Siochana are grappling with retention issues … if they can’t keep staff ….
Seems pretty much the same, both Retention and Recruitment...
I saw an ad doing the rounds for a sparks paying 100k plus company van and phone. The trades have gone mad!
Given demand and supply, I'm not surprised, and yet nobody thinks why that might have an impact on issues like housing supply...
To be honest knowing some sparks I don't even them that amount, the job can be shite and physically crippling in a short space of time.
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!
Given the government have signed of on the new command chain will the current Chief of Staff transfer to the new role of Chief of Defence or will they look for new blood?
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'll have to dust off me CV and throw me auld hat into the ring!
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.
That is the concern alright, and as all the plans still get talked about the situation for the DF gets worse.
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’m have wondering has the decision been to slow ball things until the focus on security fades and then go back to “normal”. There certainly doesn’t seem to be any grasping of how many issues we have and what is needed to fix any of them, I mean throwing up having to wait for the terms of the investigation into the abuses as a reason not to progress anything is BS.
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
Yes, they deal with civil defence and inter-departmental matters like ATCP and emergency management.
Wouldn't be much point have a junior minister in a Department who did exactly the same thing as the senior minister.
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.
To be fair, even when it was a full minister position, the holders weren’t exactly brilliant at the job either, I mean who would be the last good to outstanding Minister for Defence?
Listening to that committee meeting now, I'm intrigued that Senator Craughwell's commentary that the Kiwi vessels are considered not suited to task by people he's speaking to.
Id be more worried that he is trying to imply it seams that the navy brass where not consulted about buying them in the 1st place. I hope he just misunderstood
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!
I'm wondering if it was a case of "OK, Navy, you say you want two ships. There are two cheap ones here, it's them or nothing."
When i listened to the meeting a lack of drive and urgency seam to be missing
Just remember we saw some of the same type of comments from "sources" when we gave Aoife to the Maltese, even though the Maltese that were actually training on her in Cobh had none of the same concerns or issues and were actually a bit embarrassed bit the comments. They may well have issues, I don't know but unless the Senator has been talking to Kiwi's that have served on them down there I might have some questions?
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.
The implementation plan is a serious piece of project management and to be fair in terms of comparable Government action plans has strong governance and design at its core. Julie Sinnamon is a fairly serious appointee also. However, away from all of this (which IMHO should serve the process well over the medium to long term) the political level ‘bread and circuses’ piece is lacking. Essentially this should be some fast forwarding of a decision on pay, allowances etc. There is a huge amount on getting proper structures in place etc which is all very worthwhile but I agree there need a bit of early momentum builders. I do feel a lot of the capital piece will come and I personally think a lot of the wider public now feel our defence capabilities are sub par. (Whether is is a level 3 support is another matter). Proof of this is Sinn Fein are now mainstreaming this as part of their policy - never a bandwagon missed by them ….
However, personally I do feel the 3k extra personnel is a pipe dream irrespective of what they do, with full employment and easier ways to earn a crust I think it will be an uphill battle- I will be glad to be proven wrong. The spectre of ships with no one to crew them or planes with no one to fix them etc is a real one and is one that will continue. The current men and women do a great job in services that have been starved of resources for decades. ‘Inflating that tyre’ so to speak will take years. Finally talk of Minister Smith- was he not just the person there for a fairly long spell when the proceeds for some barrack sales went through plus the Celtic tiger meant there was a few extra bob there. Apart from that it was notable as being fairly undistinguished…
