Media Announcements

Speeches to RACO ADC 2023

The 2023 RACO Annual Delegate Conference was help between 13-16 November 2023 in Mount Wolseley Hotel, Tullow, Co. Carlow. Almost 30 motions were debated and passed at Conference covering a wide range of service issues; from consultation to overseas service, and from working time to  pay and allowances.  The RACO Climate Survey that so many members took the time to complete was presented to Conference, and had a big impact on delegates, media guests and members of military management and the Department of Defence.

Conference was also addressed by ICTU Industrial Officer Mr Liam Berney, who was highly complimentary of the Association and who contrasted the basic employment rights enjoyed by the vast majority of workers in the Public Sector with those experienced by DF members.

On Wednesday 15 November Conference Delegates were addressed by Minister for State Jack Chambers TD, (deputising for Tánaiste Micheal Martin, who was in the Middle East in his capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs), by Chief of Staff Lt Gen Seán Clancy, by General Secretary Lt Col Conor King, and by Association President Comdt Martin Ryan. All four speeches received significant coverage in the media. The speeches can be viewed below.

RACO SUBMISSION ON TERMS OF REFERENCE AND COMPOSITION

Executive Summary

The Defence Forces currently operate in a state of near crisis and with great uncertainty about their ability to carry out their assigned roles going forward. The proposed Commission on the Defence Forces is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address the issues that have brought us to this point. RACO welcomes the Commission but strongly recommends that it be expanded in scope to review the Defence Organisation as a whole. The Commission must be guided by a strategic review of current and future threats and risks to the State. It must define the roles of Defence in addressing these threats and grasp this opportunity to design an organisation that sets that standard of an agile, robust, capable force at home and overseas, fully resourced to deliver all necessary roles.

The exercise will be meaningless unless a genuine will exists to put in place the resources that this force would require. Adequate budgets must be put in the right hands at the right times to facilitate administration and operations. Important and urgent work is underway with the HLIP and will soon commence with the Defence Forces Pay Review Body.

The Commission must not be allowed to postpone, cancel, or otherwise undermine these processes, but must be its own undertaking with a medium- to long-term view. It must be open and transparent and have access to the knowledge and expertise required to deliver necessary change and must have an independent chair and a multi-disciplinary Board. RACO looks forward to the release of the TORs and continued engagement with the process.

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