Is the Irish Army a good use of taxpayers money?

I disagree

civdef wrote:

You're only about a decade or so behind the times, but nevermind.

Ireland never calls the RAF for assistance???

Manic Moran

civdef wrote:

You're only about a decade or so behind the times, but nevermind.

In fairness, long/medium range SAR is still pretty limited. Total evacuee capacity for an incident on the Western edge of Irish responsibilty is, what, three Sea Kings' worth? With a CASA or two dropping life rafts? My understanding is that RAF Nimrods and helicopters are still called upon, just not as often as they used to be.

As for the comment on saving money by disbanding the reserves, the commentator evidently has no idea about how much value Ireland is getting out of them. The whole point of a reserve is that they are there in case you need them, and for the annual expenditure, there is a lot of 'there' for the money.

NTM

civdef

These days I understand the Irish Coastguard responds to UK requests for assistance more often than the other way round.

joebhoy1916

bk wrote:

IMO from what I've seen, we get very good value for money from our Army.

Here in Ireland they participate in a number of roles as aid to civilian power (Gardai), such as money protection, road blocks, anti-terrorism, etc.

We do indeed get great value for money there on an average wage of about 500Euro and the best part of that goes on drink.

They sit around all day and do nothing except clean toilets and drink!

NCO's and that are different they wanna make a name so there not like all the under ranks.

Isnt the Rangers anti-terrorist but yet if anything likethat comes up the Garda deal with it.

m1ke wrote:

A private army (the IRA and other factions) has operated in our state for the last 30 years. I think that is justification enough for a decent sized army. Also we get very good value for money in terms of defence - as the UK, the US shoulder the financial costs for most of our problems (external security threats and NI security problems).

Yes indeed. What good were they when the Loyalists were bombing the south?

m1ke wrote:

A private army (the IRA and other factions) has operated in our state for the last 30 years. I think that is justification enough for a decent sized army

How many Irish soliders have the IRA killed?

Trotter

joebhoy1916 wrote:

We do indeed get great value for money there on an average wage of about 500Euro and the best part of that goes on drink.

They sit around all day and do nothing except clean toilets and drink!

NCO's and that are different they wanna make a name so there not like all the under ranks.

Isnt the Rangers anti-terrorist but yet if anything likethat comes up the Garda deal with it.

So ALL soldiers sit around all day and clean toilets and drink? Thats so far from true that I dont need to even comment on it.

Nobody except the Rangers and senior TD's would know what the rangers do from day to day, so how do you know what they do and dont do?

I wish people would make informed comments about the army. It dosnt take 5 mins to read military.ie or any informed website to see what they do from day to day. Posts like the one above are insulting to career soldiers who have years of overseas service done and who are highly skilled in their jobs.

joebhoy1916

Sure what else do they do all day?

Most dont even stay there all day! Show up go down and play the PS2 all day are you trying to say that doesnt happen!

Yes alot of them are skilled but then again alot are not.

If you cant read write you can join the army! Not much skill there.

They go over sea's only for there nice wage when they get home!

They train the **** out of you then you have a handy 5 years.

What did I say about Rangers? There anti terrorist right well there sapposed to be. They train with the best in the world and they are very skilled at there job. But they dont really get any major jobs to do.

Trotter

joebhoy1916 wrote:

Sure what else do they do all day?

Most dont even stay there all say! Show up go down and play the PS2 all day are you trying to say that doesnt happen!

Yes alot of them are skilled but then again alot are not.

If you cant read write you can join the army! Not much skill there.

They go over sea's only for there nice wage when they get home!

I know a lot of soldiers. The ones I know (I wont make generalisations, Id appeal for you to refrain from doing the same) never ever spend the day playing the PS2.

joebhoy1916 wrote:

If you cant read write you can join the army!

I presume you mean if you cant read or write you can join the army.
That statement again shows how ridiculous your whole argument is. For the record, its blatantly untrue and insulting.

And finally, anyone I know who went overseas did it through a sense of adventure, to see places that they would otherwise never see, through a sense of helping people who need to be helped and yes, its financially beneficial.

joebhoy1916 wrote:

They go over sea's only for there nice wage when they get home!

Again I assume that by using "They" you mean all of the soldiers in the army. Impressive that you've carried out such lengthy research to form your opinions. Im glad I know enough soldiers that have served overseas and have achieved a lot at home, not to be influenced by your opinions. I think the statements you have made have no basis in fact.

Anyway, I certainly wont get drawn into an argument on it. Even responding to accusations like that is an insult to soldiers who work hard, and to those who lost their lives helping people overseas.

Bye now.

joebhoy1916

Trotter wrote:

I know a lot of soldiers. The ones I know (I wont make generalisations, Id appeal for you to refrain from doing the same) never ever spend the day playing the PS2.

And finally, anyone I know who went overseas did it through a sense of adventure, to see places that they would otherwise never see, through a sense of helping people who need to be helped and yes, its financially beneficial.

Oh yeah they go to Liberia for the sights.

I can asure you more humping goes on over there more than anything else.

"I know a lot of soldiers" So your not in the Army?

Lol I think your the one reading military.ie

Trotter

joebhoy1916 wrote:

Oh yeah they go to Liberia for the sights.

I can asure you more humping goes on over there more than anything else.

"I know a lot of soldiers" So your not in the Army?

Lol I think your the one reading military.ie

I have family members serving in the army. Thats why Im insulted by your posts.
Goodnight.

joebhoy1916

So have I and some of my best mates are in it.

And they would tell you the same.

Drink, Nightclubs bringing girls back to the barracks in Galway in the live in quarters thats really all it is oh yeah and clean toilets there is no job satisfaction in it that's why most people leave.

bk

joebhoy1916 you are nothing but a troll, your posts couldn't be further from the truth.

BTW about the ARW, they are quiet often involved in very dangerous operations around the world, but you rarely hear about due to the covert nature of the work.

Manic Moran

I'm pretty sure I saw piccies of the ARW in Timor, Somalia and Liberia, including reading about a hostage rescue in the latter country.

Not that I've spent any more than a week at a time doing the soldier thing in Ireland, but the impression I get is that the full-timers spend a fair bit of time actually training to fight people, and doing a bit of the aid to the civil power yokie as well, since people seem to object to armed Gardai.

NTM

Rock Climber

OK bk banned for a week for calling another poster a troll

joebhoy1916 please read the charter,you are not allowed to post opinion as fact here.
If I see you doing this again,you will also get a ban

silverharp

A couple of points

Any stats that use GDP are going to understate the cost from an Irish perspective due to transfer pricing, GNP is a better measure if comparing against other countries, that being said it wouldn’t change our ranking by magnitudes.

Given that we have a land boarder, we will probably need numerically more troops then say NZ. Our coastal protection I would say is weak, given the amount of coastline we have to protect.

I’ll bow to the logic that says that the present structures are efficient however in an Irish context it does pay to be sceptical due to the numerous other instances of overlapping bureaucracies

I’m not sure about gearing our army towards UN duties, the army in my opinion should be equipped and trained for the Irish situation and then on this basis offer it’s services to the UN.

Re the army deafness, I am sure there are genuine cases however in some medical journal I read, there was a view that cause and effect are difficult to prove, I have 2 relatives for instance that are partially deaf in one ear, if they were in the army they would have got compensation even though exposure to loud noise was not an issue. I came across references to reports that claimed in other countries that deafness in armies were not statistically higher then other professions. Also given that this is Ireland where it wouldn’t have been the first time that doctors or lawyers had prepped claimants then I remain suspicious. Maybe somebody would like to explain why the British are not paying out billions cos of army deafness.

Nuttzz

Maybe somebody would like to explain why the British are not paying out billions cos of army deafness.

because they provided their troops with hearing protection.....