DF Commission Report

For what its worth, here's the DOD's version of her speech:

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-defence/speeches/pdforra-annual-delegate-conference-speech-minister-helen-mcentee-td/

To be fair, seems that DPER has been pulling that **** on all the frontline unions (though I'm going to guess not any that have members in DPER), with Martin announcing at the Fóras conference:

“I made it clear to all Ministers, and I discussed this very recently with the Minister for Public Expenditure, that I want, and I expect, rapid progress in the coming weeks to resolve outstanding aspects of applying the local bargaining clause.”

So a more general screwing over the Public Service workers than a focused policy on screwing over the DF, I'm sure they have a specialist unit in DPER to do that.

All seems a bit previous when there are no units stood up to man new or reopened bases.

Besides the old Army Brigade structure is completely outmoded now for what the land component is intended to be under the re-org.

A single, integrated, mechanised division with its constituent battalions and corps under a unified command of a Major General and small staff of planners and adjutants

Local Politics, Party Politics, Departmental Politics, all of the above in some god awful hybrid disaster…

Take your pick.

What i am hearing behind the scences of what is going on you would make a new series of Yes Minister.

10 Days in Government Days that is

Also aside from the Army being the Army, any hint as to what the NS or AC might have come up with?

general question, sorry.

I have heard it said, on very solid authority, that one of the first iterations of the new 'land component' would require a strength of 18,000.

That's not a typo - 18,000.

These people are in dreamland.

Unless of course it's the usual standard public service way of negotiating and setting the bar out far beyond what is actually achievable and hoping they meet somewhere in the middle.

Its looking like prime time publication just before the summer recess and low and behold, the Government and DF will be so consumed with the Presidency it'll be kicked down the road long enough for nobody to care anymore.

Lets not forget that the 11,500 target (set in 2022) was to be achieved by 2028 for LOA2. The Dept themselves admitted that this wont be realistically achieved until the mid 2030s at best. And that's the most realistic forecast. Nevermind LOA3 and beyond.

Despite the effort to be perceived as "joint" and the plethora of tri-service appointments and promotions that have come about because of same, the DF will continue to be run through a green lens because it has been for the last 100+ years.

Theres a reason those in green have been actively involved in trying to land grab and silo various aspects of the radar project.

Its not just green dysfunction though, its across the board.

The AC for years silo'd aspects of UAS and drone training leveraging that GOCAC was the Director of military aviation. However the time and resources were a token only as they continued to focus on conventional aircraft. Then when certain sub-units amongst the other services started acquiring certain kit and capabilities, the mickey swinging started again to try and silo that capability.

Much blame and dissent lands at the feet of the Dept, and rightfully so. However, DF leadership has alot to answer for aswell.

It will be interesting to see where the Army hangs its hat now that the biggest drain in manpower is being wound down. Its a double edged sword because for a lot of personnel, the opportunity to serve overseas is a significant motivator to join and for retention.

Nobody joins the DF with the ambition to spend months lifting a barrier at the camp entrance to other nations, which despite all the gucci kit, is more or less all the latest battle group was. Except for course for the chosen few who got to spend a few months in the HQ in Strasbourg.

UNIFIL/UNDOF/EUTM etc - all gone

Portlaoise - gone

Cash/prison/XO Escorts - long gone.

but of course if you listen to some commentators, having two consecutive years where the strength barely stayed the same is seen as an achievement.

HLAP, DIPs, Updates. Etc etc. All noise designed to feign progress while kicking the big issues to the side.

Meanwhile the most impactful change to every day members was changing the regulations to allow for beards and colored watches. And that took over 2 years. Go figure.

stretch it all the way to the Recess means you’re already deep into the Presidency assuming the normal rising in Mid July, so 6 weeks in before releasing anything? Particularly as by that point whatever foreign support we are going to need (all of it) will likely already be somewhat in the public domain.

Have to admire the “ambition” of whoever floated 18k for the Army though, as Manic pointed out even the basic infrastructure for such an expansion would be a massive undertaking, let alone actually getting to that number.

Is the Scorpian buy mainly for the Cavlary, Artillery and other support units while the infantry will be looking for another APC?

If you read the French news article that broke the news on buying French armoured vehicles, it said the Irish are looking to buy just "some Griffons", and the official Irish government press release mentioned new 8x8 armoured vehicles.

So they won't be replacing the infantry Mowag fleet, which is the majority of the whole fleet.

My money is on the VBCI T40.

"strategic workforce plan"

Throw that in with th

CoDF

HLAP

DIP

If There is one thing the Dept are masters of, its writing non-commital nonsense publications that amount to nothing and do nothing other than serve as a basis to launch another working group/focus group etc etc

Separate to this folly, I was told on good authority that the medium/super-medium helicopter project has been kicked down the road indefinitely and is effectively dead in the water before 2030.

An interesting one to keep an eye on as time progresses.