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The Journal
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Military union warns 'vague' Defence Bill could lead to 'unreasonable suspensions' for soldiers
A MILITARY GROUP has told an Oireachtas committee that new 'vague' Defence legislation could breach soldiers' rights to fair procedure and lead to 'unreasonable and protracted suspensions'. The Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO) is appearing before the Joint Committee on Defence and National Security which is carrying out pre-legislative scrutiny of the proposed Defence Bill. So far invited speakers have focused on neutrality and new measures to deploy troops abroad, RACO is the first to address the changes to the workplace which will include powers of suspension and the summary dismissal of personnel. The group said, in its opening remarks this morning, that they have significant concerns about the drafting of the bill and a lack of consultation with them. It told the committee members that a conciliation and arbitration mechanism to raise their concerns is not fit for purpose and is 'unproductive' due to lack of resourcing and long delays in resolving issues. RACO said that it has 'little accountability' and has an 'inability to address the issue it was created to resolve'. The military group examined three draft heads of the Bill, dealing with suspensions of members, the dismissal of soldiers and how soldiers will be compelled by law to tell their commanding officers they are under investigation. These measures were introduced following high profile cases, including that of former soldier Cathal Crotty, who was found guilty of assaulting Natasha O'Brien in Limerick city. He was initially not imprisoned at Limerick Circuit Court but he was later jailed when the Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the case in the wake of it being raised in the media. Crotty was not suspended from the military as the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces did not have powers of suspension. A report by Peter Ward, which was commissioned by then Minister for Defence Micheál Martin, found that there was an urgent need for a clear suspension policy to allow the military to impose suspensions in certain circumstances. The Bill proposes that it will grant powers to a 'designated authority' to suspend soldiers under the rank of Major General. This includes for reasons of in the public interest, national security or serious misconduct. This measure was introduced to the Bill after it emerged that there was no real power of suspension for the RACO in its address today said that it welcomes a suspension policy but has called for a greater degree of clarity in the provisions as set out in the Bill. Advertisement It said that: 'we remain very concerned by the loose, vague and subjective language in the current drafting'. 'Such phrasing lacks the thoroughness and rigour needed to protect members' rights to the presumption of innocence and opens the door to interpretation without robust oversight or even an appeal mechanism,' the group added. The garda use of suspensions has been heavily criticised by the Garda Representative Association and the Workplace Relations Commission, in a finding against An Garda Síochána, said that its process was a 'rubber stamp' exercise . RACO told the committee that the suspensions in advance of due process would carry 'real consequences' for an individual's mental health and professional reputation. 'The principle of 'innocent until proven guilty' must be protected—not just legally, but through fair process and proper supports. A balance must be struck between operational discipline and the dignity and safety of those who serve. 'We note that suspension is an embedded feature of many other public sector organisations and are aware of a concerning reported trend of seemingly endless, elongated suspensions without regular review or due process, where the suspension in fact becomes the punishment,' the group added. Dismissal RACO raised the issue of dismissal of officers by the President 'for any prescribed reason' – it said again this was too vague and wide ranging drafting which lacked precision. The group told the committee that it 'lacks the clarity and safeguards necessary to protect members from arbitrary or disproportionate action'. RACO also called for redrafting in regard to the new measure in which military personnel will be compelled to inform their commanding officer if they are under garda investigation. The issue is centred around the measure which would require them to keep that officer up to date on progress. It said there was no formal or informal data sharing mechanism between gardaí and the courts martial system. RACO warned that this meant there was no obligation on the investigating garda to keep the Defence Forces updated on the probe. It has recommended that the Head of the Bill be updated so that it is only necessary where a military member finds themselves arrested, interviewed under caution or charged by the gardaí. 'We respectfully contend that the draft Heads as they currently stand are overly vague (even for primary legislation), and lack crucial detail on appeals mechanisms, checks or balances which could lead to a wave of unnecessarily unreasonable and protracted suspensions. 'We suggest that more detail is required to ensure clarity and support for our members who will be required to operate and administer a suspension policy, and that essential safeguards are necessary for all Defence Forces members who may be the subject of suspension or indeed dismissal into the future, in keeping with the principles of natural justice and fair procedures,' RACO conclude. 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
04-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Letters to the Editor: Ireland cannot spend €25.5bn on defence
Lieutenant Colonel Conor King, general secretary of the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (Raco), mentions Ireland's low level of defence expenditure ('Ireland's defence spend of 0.2% labelled a 'bad joke', Irish Examiner, June 27). He then mentions Nato's commitment to increase its spending to 5%. While I agree that the Defence Forces are understaffed and their equipment needs upgrading, surely it is he that is joking in thinking Ireland should spend 5% of its GDP on the military. Ireland's GDP in 2023 was €510bn, so 5% of that is €25.5bn. To put it into context, the budget for the health department was €23.4bn. So, people advocating a rise in the defence budget to 5% of GDP want to give more money to a department in charge of approximately 9,500 personnel ahead of a department that oversees about 370,000 people. I have friends in the Defence Forces, so naturally I want them to have the best equipment for the job, but €25.5bn? The next time I meet them in uniform, will they be wearing Gucci combat boots, Ralph Lauren fatigues, and Dolce & Gabbana-inspired helmets? That should go well with their new Louis Vuitton backpacks and custom-designed armoured personnel carriers. This amount would see us outspending the Netherlands and Spain, both of which have far bigger armed forces. It also begs the question of who we are defending ourselves against. No doubt the usual refrain will be the big bad Russians. They are the go-to bad guys that are invoked by every military leader and spokesperson in Europe in their frantic quest to get shiny new weaponry. The fact is that Russia is a little busy right now, and I cannot see them attacking us anytime now or in the future. We do need to upgrade our air, sea, and radar systems, as we have such a large sea and air area to monitor, especially when it comes to drugs and smuggling. We need to invest in services to make the forces more attractive for the 4,000 recruits we need to meet basic requirements. After years of underinvestment, I understand the need to make some one-off investments to cover capital costs, but surely not to the extent of 5% of GDP. Ireland is in a fairly good position economically, but we can't go losing our heads when it comes to managing budgets. You only have to look at the absolutely scandalous mismanagement of the National Children's Hospital building to realise that things can get out of hand very quickly. Let's invest in our defence forces, but let's do it sensibly and based on our needs and not on some arbitrary figure made up by Donald Trump. Brian Ward, Skibbereen, Co Cork Parents supporting trans and non-binary children We would like to thank Dáithí Ó Sé for his recent column — 'I'm struggling with my teen coming out as non-binary' (Irish Examiner, June 30). We formed Mammies for Trans Rights when a few of us got together to talk about how we could best support our trans and non-binary kids. We are not experts, just concerned parents and allies who want to love and protect our children in what can be a difficult time in their lives, especially in what has rapidly become more frightening atmosphere for anyone who challenges traditional ideas of sexuality or gender. We tell everyone who contacts us that the first and best source of information and support is Teni or BelongTo, and then we invite anyone who would like to join us as we march in Pride events across the country each summer. We want kids and parents to see that there's far more of us who love our kids than there is of people spreading fear and division. And we want to remind people that love always wins Mammies for Trans Rights, via email What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here Séamas O'Reilly signs off on a positive note How fitting that Séamas O'Reilly's last column in your newspaper after three years mentions the extraordinary success of a virtual unknown in the race for mayor of New York ('Democratic primary win offers small, life-giving crumb of hope to politics' Irish Examiner, Weekend, June 28). If someone told me a week ago that a 33-year-old Muslim running a pro-Palestinian, anti-Zionist campaign in the biggest city in the United States that has the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, would comprehensively defeat someone like Andrew Cuomo in the mayoral primary, I would have quickly turned the page. But Zohran Mamdani is no ordinary assemblyman. He clearly has touched a nerve with large swathes of New Yorkers who increasingly are being priced out of living in one of the wealthiest cities in the world. His economic policies of free buses, free childcare, and publicly owned grocery stores have shaken the political establishment appealing in particular to young people. Key to his success are core, endlessly repeated commitments focused on a cost of living crisis triggered by a broken economic system. Is it any wonder that the Democrat elites are shaking in their boots and are now pinning their hopes on the unpopular incumbent Eric Adams running as an independent to defeat the Uganda-born Queens new kid on the block in November's election decider. Fair play to Séamas O'Reilly signing off on a positive note. Remember the name Zohran Mamdani, as we are going to hear a lot more about him and his democratic socialist policies. Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry Labelling for ethical choices for animal welfare Switzerland introduced new labelling on meat and dairy products on Tuesday, July 1. The terms 'beef' or 'pork' will no longer suffice; food labels are now required to disclose if the animals underwent procedures such as castration, dehorning , teeth clipping, tail docking, beak trimming, or force feeding — the list is endless — without pain relief. This labelling will not just apply to meat products but will include milk and eggs and will extend to all points of sale and to imports. This initiative is to encourage consumers to make more ethical choices and presumably to improve welfare standards for animals. As far back as the 18th century the English philosopher Jeremy Bantham asked the following regarding animals: 'The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?' A mere two centuries after he asked the question, animals continue to suffer. Sadly today many animals spend their short miserable lives in windowless sheds, pumped full of antibiotics, suffering a great deal more than their predecessors in the 18th century. I welcome this initiative by the Swiss government and hope it will soon be obligatory for other EU states to follow suit. Joan Burgess, Annmount, Cork What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here Government must help squeezed middle Regarding Sean Murray's article — 'Fueling frustration: Why Irish petrol prices stay high, even when oil doesn't' (Irish Examiner, online, June 28). I drive to work every day, which is a round trip of about 60km. It costs me around €70 a week, which is about 20% of my income and as I am one of the squeezed middle earners it's really hard. There is no public transport for the time I need to go to work. With the cost of living so high everything is getting harder. I just hope I don't get sick — I just couldn't afford to go to the doctor. My savings have been eroded as we have to pay for everything and we're entitled to nothing. The Government really needs to address this urgently with tax breaks; we are becoming the hidden working poor. Noreen Moloney, Hospital, Co Limerick Combatting the loneliness of teenage girls According to a new study from the World Health Organization (WHO) teenage girls are the loneliest group in the world. While adult men and women both report similar levels of loneliness, nearly a quarter of teenage girls say they are lonely. This is compared to only 17% of teenage boys. Loneliness is a lack or a loss of meaningful social connection and all humans are natural social creatures. We need that social connection from the moment we are born. The most important thing for an infant is skin to skin contact with the parent and social interaction and then friendship builds from that. As a clinician, I would note that many teenage girls are particularly vulnerable to low self-esteem along with increased challenges when it comes to their mental health. It's my contention that teenage girls might be more vulnerable when compared to boys. We do know that there is a drop off in teenage girls being involved in any sort of structured activity. There is a disproportionate drop off in engagement in sports compared to boys at that age. There is an increased use of online social media at home which doesn't always promote a good positive self image. If parents were to put their phones away and develop the art of conversing with their teenage daughters, the positive difference in their teenage girls mental wellbeing would be palpable. Parents displaying an interest in their daughters can be an uplifting feeing for teenage girls. It's important that parents show that they are there for their teenage daughters. Parents must strive to keep their teenage girls involved in activities where they meet and interact with other young people of their own age. It's important that we all mind and nurture one another. John O'Brien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary
