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Irish Times
3 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
Expert group warned military air traffic control staffing issue would re-emerge
An expert group urged four years ago for a special payment to be given to military air traffic controllers to dissuade them from leaving the Defence Forces for the private sector. It is understood the 2021 report was not acted upon, and the service is now facing a new staffing crisis. The group's report argued that problems with the operation of military air traffic control services would continue to emerge every few years if issues continued to be tackled on an ad hoc basis. The report, drawn up by a joint Department of Defence and Defence Forces group, recommended introducing a service commitment scheme that would boost pay for air traffic control personnel. READ MORE The report said 'stability must be ensured through retaining experience and stopping air traffic service personnel numbers dropping further'. It urged adopting a 'blended approach of incentives and undertakings' to minimise 'premature voluntary retirements'. 'Having a pathway for personnel who complete training to take up a role (and technical pay) specific to their skill set, or the ability to pay qualified controllers the appropriate technical pay after completing their training, would mitigate the impact of gaps within the unit,' the report said. It is understood the 2021 report was not acted upon, and the service is now facing a new staffing crisis. Last week it emerged that an acute shortage of trained air traffic controllers (ATCs) at the Air Corps ' only base at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, Dublin, is expected to lead to military flight operations being restricted to a five-day-a-week, daytime-only schedule. [ Parlous state of Defence Forces once again laid bare Opens in new window ] The move will have huge implications for rescue, medical and policing services that use the Baldonnel airbase. The 505 Squadron, which is responsible for air traffic control, is supposed to have 21 personnel but in recent years it has been operating at about 50 per cent capacity. Five personnel are due to depart shortly for the private sector, necessitating the move to a reduced schedule, which takes effect from June 7th. The 2021 report recommended reforms to training, recruitment and retention. However, it warned that having non-military personnel run the air traffic service in its entirety or contracting it out to an external provider is 'not an option'. The report said there should be a minimum of 32 personnel in the air traffic control unit. It said personnel undergoing training should have to make a four-year commitment. [ State attempting to reach settlements with Air Corps chemical victims, Tánaiste says Opens in new window ] The Air Corps is responsible for air navigation in airspace designated for use by the Defence Forces. In 2016 the retirement of key personnel led to a restriction on operations. A full 24-hour service was restored in 2021. The joint review group was established to identify options for the long-term sustainability of the air traffic service at Baldonnel. The report said issues related to the air traffic service in the past were 'largely dealt with in an ad hoc manner'. 'Maintaining such an approach will lead to problems continuing or re-emerging from time to time every number of years.' It said the military air traffic service is 'a strategic asset' that ensures air connectivity for the State. 'Casement Aerodrome is the only secure military airfield within the State, and is itself a strategic asset. Military air traffic service plays a vital role in maintaining this capability and in ensuring the security of operations in interactions with other agencies,' the report said.
Irish Times
a day ago
- General
- Irish Times
Ireland issues formal protest letter to Israel over shots fired towards Unifil unit in Lebanon
Ireland has issued a formal rebuke to Israel via the United Nations after Israeli soldiers fired shots into an area being patrolled by Irish peacekeepers in southern Lebanon on Thursday. The Government lodged the démarche, a diplomatic letter of protest, which describes events in the village of Yaroun as 'completely unacceptable in terms of the safety of peacekeepers and the execution of their mandated duties'. The letter said the concerns are held 'at the highest levels' of the Irish Government and Defence Forces. The Tánaiste, Simon Harris, was on Friday briefed on the incident by the new Defence Forces chief of staff, Brig Gen Rossa Mulcahy. It is understood that up to 30 shots were fired over a period of nine minutes towards a joint Irish-United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon ( Unifil ) and Lebanese armed forces patrol close to the Blue Line, which separates Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights. READ MORE No one was injured, but the unit was forced to leave the area. Irish troops have all been confirmed as safe and well. 'It's clear to me that the actions of the IDF were reckless, intimidatory, totally unacceptable and a clear breach of the international rules surrounding peacekeeping,' the Tánaiste said. 'I want to pay tribute to our personnel deployed with Unifil, who are operating in an increasingly volatile and tense environment.' [ Irish peacekeepers come under fire while on patrol in Lebanon Opens in new window ] In a statement to The Irish Times on Friday, Israeli ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich said: 'The incident is still being examined, and from an initial investigation by the IDF, there was no shooting at Unifil, but at suspicious individuals who approached the Blue Line. 'There have been many recent incidents of Hizbullah harassment and attacks on Unifil. It appears that Ireland is not reporting nor protesting those incidents. Why is that the case?'
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Government lodges formal démarche over Israeli soldiers firing at Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon
The so-called démarche states Ireland considers the incident in the village of Yaroun as 'completely unacceptable in terms of the safety of peacekeepers and the execution of their mandated duties.' The formal démarche has been served on the Israeli Government via the UN. 'These concerns are held at the highest levels' of the Irish Government and the Defence Forces, it reads. No soldiers were injured and the incident was condemned by Government. The incident took place days after Israeli soldiers fired shots towards a group of diplomats, which included Irish officials. 'It's clear to me that the actions of the IDF were reckless, intimidatory, totally unacceptable and a clear breach of the international rules surrounding peacekeeping,' Tánaiste Simon Harris said earlier this week. 'I want to pay tribute to our personnel deployed with UNIFIL, who are operating in an increasingly volatile and tense environment.' He was briefed yesterday on the incident by the new Chief of Staff Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy. The incident happened on International UN Peacekeepers' Day. The 126th Infantry Battalion deployed to Lebanon this month as part of the Unifil mission. It is made up of 298 Irish soldiers and 10 from Malta, with over a third of personnel on their first overseas mission.
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Govt lodges formal démarche over Israeli fire at UNIFIL unit
The Government has lodged a formal protest letter through the United Nations over the decision by the Israeli military to fire up to 30 rounds towards an Irish-Lebanese unit helping civilians in south Lebanon on Thursday. The formal démarche correspondence, extracts of which have been seen by RTÉ News, states that what happened was "completely unacceptable in terms of the safety of peacekeepers" operating in the area. It continues that "these concerns are held at the highest levels" of the Government and the Defence Forces, and must not be repeated. A démarche is a formal letter of protest from the diplomatic wing of one country to another country, and is officially registered through the United Nations. Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris gave permission for it to be sent after he was briefed by incoming Defence Forces Chief of Staff Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy over the incident on Thursday. The incident occurred in the south Lebanese village of Yaroun, which is 10km from Camp Shamrock, where Irish peacekeepers are based on the buffer zone blue line. While helping locals in the village, which was heavily damaged by the Israeli military last year, a joint unit of six Irish blue helmets and members of the Lebanese Armed Forces was shot towards by Israeli military personnel. Up to 30 shots were fired towards the unit over the space of nine minutes, with UNIFIL confirming all bullets landing within 50m of the unit. While no injuries occurred, the unit was forced to leave the area, with sources describing the incident as involving warning shots at the peacemakers. The formal démarche correspondence is the second to have been sent by Ireland to Israel this month. In mid-May, a number of Irish diplomats were part of a diplomatic unit which also had bullets fired towards them in Jenin in the West Bank. No one was injured.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Ireland to lodge letter of objection to Israel over shots fired close to Unifil patrol in south Lebanon
Ireland is to lodge a formal letter of objection with Israel after shots were fired in the vicinity of peacekeepers in south Lebanon. The incident came during a joint Irish United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon ( Unifil ) and Lebanese Armed Forces patrol close to the Blue Line, which separates Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights, on Thursday. None of the Irish personnel – who were recently deployed to Unifil as part of the 126th Infantry Battalion – were injured in the incident. The Defence Forces said on Thursday that all personnel were reported to be safe and well, and that they continued to monitor the situation in south Lebanon. READ MORE Minister for Defence Simon Harris said he had been briefed by the incoming chief of staff Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy. He said just before midday, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had fired shots into the patrol area. It is understood the incident took place close to Yaroun village. He also confirmed that a formal letter of objection from Ireland would be lodged with Israel via the UN on Friday. 'Brigadier General Mulcahy provided me with a detailed briefing on the serious events that took place yesterday involving Irish Defence Force personnel in southern Lebanon,' Mr Harris said. 'It's clear to me that the actions of the IDF were reckless, intimidatory, totally unacceptable and a clear breach of the international rules surrounding peacekeeping. 'Brigadier General Mulcahy has assured me that all of our troops impacted are safe and well. They have been debriefed following the incident and patrols are continuing as normal today. 'I want to pay tribute to our personnel deployed with Unifil, who are operating in an increasingly volatile and tense environment. 'My officials in the Department of Defence will today formally lodge a protest letter over what happened yesterday and this will be communicated directly with Israel.' In a statement to The Irish Times, Israeli ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich said: 'The incident is still being examined, and from an initial investigation by the IDF, there was no shooting at Unifil, but at suspicious individuals who approached the Blue Line. 'There have been many recent incidents of Hizbullah harassment and attacks on Unifil. It appears that Ireland is not reporting nor protesting those incidents. Why is that the case?' - Additional reporting PA
