DF Commission Report

Sneaking things out before the summer recess like last year?

Have you seen the President's Front page on the Sunday Business Post?

I see your point, but all three will have quite different missions. It's important to have separation between the civil police, military activity and intelligence and community and business support from the State.

I'm sure NCSC will coordinate at a high level on appropriate policies.

I have to disagree.

I knew something was afoot when I saw a few career protesters mingling outside the lecture hall. They made their little scene for the press, were removed and the event continued.

Throughout the day everyone who had a question to ask (or a speech to make) were facilitated. That included 2 from Shannonwatch, Mick Wallace and Clare Daly, A few TDs and councillos from Sinn Fein etc.

These arseholes at the start had no interest in engagement, they issued a video after saying as much. You'd forgive the lads with the banner. College Clubs & Socs are a great place to rent a mob. O Cadhla is a career protester, it was him who attempt to board visiting naval vessels to inspect them. Lorna Bogue is basically "Continuity Green Party". Nobody could hear what she was saying, as she read out her social studies essay over the Speaker. She claimed the process was undemocratic, but her fellow Greens sitting nearby didn't think so as they remained for the day.

This was the first step, an exchange of information.

The Minister did not rule out a Citizens assembly would be held at a later stage, but it has been shown that these tend to agree with the view of the government of the day, so make what you will of that.

https://www.youtube.com/live/60xcFPQALUg?feature=share

So we are now in the 3rd quarter of the year. Mr Martin or his minions said a few weeks a go a full plan on how they would get the CoDF LOA2 in place would be publised by the end of the 2nd quarter. So will we see a plan this week??

You ain't wrong there. Its school holiday time, all departments will be short staffed till late august, the more senior the appointment, the longer leave being taken.

I had cause to go into my (govt) building last week. Went from car park to top floor, met one person, spotted a cluster of 4 gathered around a desk, otherwise the building that normally holds 300 staff was empty at 9AM on a friday.

You could do that.. unless you were waiting till certain people were closer to retirement and no longer eligible to the expected promotions this would bring, otherwise being stuck with them in the post for another 3-5 years.

Hypothetically, of course.

I am sure there are plenty of the senior ranks that would do 12/18 months as a interim service boss for there CV and more important the extra points on the pension

I was thinking more about poor project management in the State sector, manifesting as political over-promising not being reconcileable with the actual time it would take to do something. Especially something as big as this step-change plan in Defence.

And I would suggest Government offices are deserted more because of the 60/40 working-from-home mandate to aid 'green' targets.

Fu@k me that was a depressing watch. I presume everything the DOD has done to the RDF as being due to advice from the PDF.

Re the consultative forum, the chairperson will produce a report which will summarise the points raised over the 4 days. Its the first step in a long road, regardless of what those on the far left may suggest.

For most TDs, the committee serves only as someplace to get their name in the paper. All the attention is focused on PAC this week (due to the drama around Tubridy's earnings) and some are realising it's not just somewhere to go when you have nothing better to do, its someplace where you should be driving change.

for 8 & 7,the problem is the potential recruit had to first at their own expense get a cert from their doc to say they are fit to progress (this has been replaced with self certification). Average doc visit is €60-80 for anything these days. Then they waited for medical proper. As for doctors & facilities, my last medical in the DF was done in the back of a TEU, where the medical corps had been evicted to, when the Army Hospital was repurposed as Brigade Headquarters. I understand the TEU are gone also, having been left overseas to save costs. There are ongoing issues with medical officer availability

For 6 I think the point was prioritisation. Do you really need to use resources for the full level of fitness tests when the reservist involved will NEVER require that level of fitness in their military service.

5 We still don't have employment protection, and it seems the special leave that used to be available to the members who worked in the civil service had been lost. It used to be if you had 1 weeks training you got 2 days special leave, 2 weeks you got 5 days etc. meaning you weren't eating into your normal annual leave to attend full time training.

4 The members of the Committee are under it all parish pump politicians and every one of them wants a training centre in their local town. This pays no regard to what the organisation needs, or is cognisant of the fact their local barracks closed 10 years ago and is now owned by a different government department or developer.

3 Agreed

2 Some of the bigger issues are regulatory. People leaving the PDF with no means to access the reserve at their previous rank or with any of their old qualifications. I served with 2 former members of the ARW in different units. Both had to join as recruits, and it took quite a lot of convincing to have their old AF154 recognised by D/Transport, even if the same Colonels name was on the old 154.

1 This is exactly where we are. Nobody in authority has designated a proper role for the reserve other than to "support" the PDF or to do ceremonial, which is hardly a good use of resources. There was a point in the early 2000s where we had a purpose, which was barrack duties during Brigade exercise season. But then the Army Downsized, and brigade exercises were no longer practical, so there was no longer need for the Reserve to mind the house while their permanent colleagues were away on ex. During the same period, Reserve drivers and Air Defence units were also a vital cog in certain exercises, but rarely operationally.

This Article is a few weeks old but The Taniste well not be a welcomed man in Mullingar

Costume Barracks is a prime site that would be ideal for an open air event centre.

Its a terrible location for a modern barracks. We aren't trying to stop Cromwell crossing the Shannon any more.

The Defence Forces closed 2 fine barracks in Cork, both on the outskirts of satellite towns. One had its own pistol and SMG range, the other its own grass airstrip. Everyone within was moved into a hemmed in barracks in Cork's city centre with possibly the worst access of any in the country.

We locate there because thats where the brits built them, centuries before, to keep us under control.

Army HQ should remain in Dublin because that is where the motorway system leads to. Try to get to Athlone from Cork or Finner and its a whole other issue.

We need to send our elected officials to modern military bases around Europe. They do it very differently. Nieuwe Haven in Den Helder is a prime example. HQ Of Kon Marine, everything at the other side of the bridge (access to the island is unsurprisingly controlled by a single bridge). As well as quays for the ships, you have a dockyard to carry out repairs to their fleet of subs out on land and under cover from elements. A gallery range designed to control both escape of noise and or miss-aimed ordnance. Airstrip for fixed and rotary wing and a dummy ships helideck to practice approaches and landing on. Plenty of trees and green spaces for physical activity, any traffic within the perimeter is your own.

Aye, but they didn't specify Custume Barracks did they? Or anywhere for that matter.

There are more places in the centre of the Country than a square mile on the shabby side of the River in Athlone.

A green field site is the ideal for this.