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The Journal
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
PDFORRA's new boss says young people 'lifeblood' of Defence Forces and need better conditions
THE NEW PRESIDENT of a group representing rank and file military personnel has said that there is a need to confront the inequality in employment entitlements for new members. Araon Kearney, a communications specialist based at Cork's Collins Barracks, was elected today by delegates on the last day of the PDFORRA conference in Kerry. He takes over the presidency from Mark Keane – Kearney's deputy will be Sandra Daly who is a medic in the Irish Naval Service. Kearney said that he was humbled to be elected to lead the representative group. He said the key issue he wants to solve is the problem of people who joined after 2013 having less favourable work place entitlements to their older colleagues. This includes a significantly reduced pension for when they retire. This was a measure introduced during the height of austerity in the wake of the economic crash. 'The post 2013 joiners are the youngest people serving in our organisation, and they're the people that are the lifeblood of the Defence Forces and our group. 'I think it's very, very important that we fight to improve their terms and conditions, because they don't match those who joined before that date. 'They're the people who will be on the coal face of everything for the next 15 or 20 years so we have to put faith in them and fight to have their service recognised,' he said. Kearney said he supported the Tánaiste Simon Harris' comments on the importance of solving the crisis in recruitment and retention . Advertisement Harris had told The Journal on Wednesday when he attended the conference that purchasing of equipment was only part of a 'jigsaw' of solutions and that there was a need to recruit and keep in service people to operate the new kit. Kearney also endorsed the view that there is a need to advance to the highest level of ambition set out in an action plan to increase defence capability. 'As the Minister said it's very important to buy equipment to make sure that we are protected and looked after but if we don't have the people to man the armoured cars, fly the planes and crew the ships, we have nothing. 'We have to invest heavily in our people. And it's great that the minister actually acknowledged that,' he added. Outgoing President Mark Keane on the right hands over the chain of office to new president Araon Kearney. Niall O'Connor / The Journal Niall O'Connor / The Journal / The Journal Outgoing President Mark Keane welcomed the election and looked back at the successes of his tenure at the top of PDFORRA. 'When you look back on it, we started at a historically low place. We've come through difficult times and rebuilt PDFORRA. The organisation has demonstrated that it can deliver for its members, that we are an effective Association. 'We have shown the knowledge we have but also that we have the membership, and we have the grassroots who are willing to put in the hard work, willing to contest these elections, and willing to help each other. It is in the greatest tradition, the whole sense of methal and community, that people want to do this for the right reasons. 'It has been a privilege and an absolute honour to be President of PDFORRA and I enjoyed every moment of it,' he added. He paid tribute to his deputy Donogh Maguire and General Secretary Ger Guinan. 'They've been a great team and a great asset. I'd like to see that continue for the benefit of the associate and especially our members who deserve good representation,' he said. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
PDForra to push for halt to exodus of skilled technicians from Defence Forces
The Government is to be pushed to establish a special review body 'as a matter of urgency' to halt the exodus of highly-skilled technicians leaving the military for better pay in the private sector. The matter is one of the 'big-ticket issues' for delegates attending the annual defence force representative body PDForra conference, which gets under way in Killarney today, Tuesday. In addition, a motion at the association's conference will call for the abolition of some of its near 6,000 enlisted members to have to serve commissioned officers during mealtimes 'so as to reflect a modern Defence Forces'. While successive governments have addressed the personnel crisis within the military in recent years with increased pay and allowances and better on-base accommodation, PDForra delegates will state more must be done to attract young people into the armed forces. It costs significant funding once they are there to train them in specialities but these skills, for which the taxpayer pays, are being 'headhunted' by the private sector in increasing numbers, with offers of better conditions of employment. PDForra president Mark Keane. Picture: Chani Anderson The delegates will contest that the three arms of the military — army, naval service, and air corps — can not function properly without such critical personnel and want this addressed along with several motions directed at improving allowances for other skilled cohorts. About 125 delegates will discuss a wide range of motions — totalling more than 70 — over their three-day conference at the Gleneagle Hotel. The conference will be addressed by Tánaiste and minister for foreign affairs and defence Simon Harris on Tuesday and, for the first time, by the designate Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy, on Wednesday. Brig Gen Mulcahy will officially take over the top job next month from Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, who is to be elevated to the rank of full general when he takes up an appointment as the chairman of the European Union Military Committee. PDForra president Mark Keane said the conference will hear an unprecedented number of motions this year. 'Motions vary from the payment of long-service increments, which would, we believe, assist in the much-needed retention of personnel, to the creation of the new rank of lance corporal, which was a recommendation of the Commission on the Defence Forces,' Mr Keane added. He said many of the motions are pay related, as the association is attempting to equitably distribute the pool of funds available to it under the local bargaining provisions of the most recent public sector pay agreement. 'Our delegates have consulted widely with our membership over the past year to in order to ensure that personnel are remunerated properly for the hard work that they do,' Mr Keane added. Veterans' seven-day walk Meanwhile, a number of military veterans have just embarked on a seven-day walk retracing the 170km 'Famine Trail' from the Strokestown Famine Museum, Co Roscommon to the National Famine Memorial on Dublin's Custom House Quay. They will arrive in Dublin on May 18 to coincide with National Famine Commemoration Day. They are undertaking the walk to raise vital funds for the veterans' charity ONE. The famine trail dates back to 1847 when 227 families were evicted from their homes on Strokestown Estate in County Roscommon. As a result, 1,490 men, women, and children were forced to undertake a gruelling 170km walk to Dublin in order to start a new life overseas. It was there that they sailed to Liverpool before being forced to board coffin ships bound for Canada. Over two-thirds died on the journey. • For more information, visit the Famine Walk page on the the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel website.
The Journal
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Exodus from Defence Forces is not a 'mystery' as group calls for financial boost to keep troops
DESPITE EFFORTS TO stem the flow of personnel leaving the Defence Forces the exodus continues and there is a need for a rethink on pay to stop it, the President of a military representative group has said. Mark Keane, who is the outgoing President of PDFORRA, which represents non-commissioned ranks of the Irish Defence Forces, was speaking ahead of the opening of the group's annual conference in Killarney today. Keane, who is a member of the Irish Naval Service, said that there should be no doubt about why there is a retention crisis and he said is a failure to honour the experience of long service troops. 'The exodus of experienced personnel from across the Defence Forces is not a mystery, and indeed is the result of poor pay and conditions and a failure to recognise long service of our members. 'Pay restoration, we believe is not a luxury, but a necessity,' he said. Keane said that a proposal to introduce a new rank of Lance Corporal, which has previously been promised by Government, should also happen as a matter of urgency. The Lance Corporal is a non-commissioned officer rank and was a key recommendation in the Commission on the Defence Forces. It would enable young soldiers to progress earlier in their career from the rank of three star private. 'We are again calling for the Minister for the introduction of long service increments, and also the introduction of Lance Corporal rank, which is created for which is catered for within the government's own Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces. Advertisement 'We believe this will offer a career milestone and help stem the tide of personal leaving, and also aid for attention. 'Long service increments are vital, we believe, as a way of recognizing our members commitment and indeed expertise to the defense forces, we must now reward longevity with pay that reflects the depth of of experience and leadership that these people continue to display and have displayed over many, many years,' he added. Keane said the goals of PDFORRA for this year's delegate conference is to call for a plan to be laid out by Defence Forces leadership. 'We want to see a clear road map to stabilize and strengthen retention across the three arms of the defense forces, within the naval service, Army and Air Corps. 'I firmly believe that this Annual Delegate Conference is not just about resolutions, but about results – we owe it to our members and indeed the Defence Forces to ensure that their service is valued. Progression is possible within the Defence Forces and their unwavering commitment to the state is rewarded,' Keane added. Delegates from across the Army, Navy and Air Corps, will meet in the Gleneagle hotel in Killarney, Co. Kerry for the three day event. A new President of the group will also be elected during the conference. Many of the motions at this year's event are pay related, as PDFORRA said it is attempting to push Government to 'equitably distribute the pool of funds available'. Defence Minister Simon Harris is scheduled to attend today with the incoming Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy, to also speak on Wednesday. He will take over from Lt General Seán Clancy in June. More than 100 delegates representing members from over 40 Districts across the country will debate 71 Motions and 13 Constitutional amendments. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
