A report on how to encourage women to join the Defence Forces is finally expected to be published early next month after two attempts by Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea to seek submissions from interested parties.
During recent questions in the Dáil, he expressed his disappointment at the lack of response to his invitation to numerous organisations last year seeking their views on how to increase female recruitment, which currently stands at about 6 per cent of the permanent force.
Mr O'Dea said the Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA) was the only group with concrete proposals. In its 2005 submission, the ICA had sought a reduction in the height requirement for woman from 5'4" to 5'2". This measure was subsequently introduced.
The Minister also said that neither of the Defence Forces Representative groups responded.
The Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (Raco), however, rejected the suggestion that it was not interested in female participation.
Lieut Col Brian O'Keeffe, general secretary of Raco, said "that is certainly not the case". He pointed out that neither Raco nor PDForra, which represents other soldiers, make submissions to the authorities. They operate under industrial relations mechanisms.
"If we make a submission, that's all it is and we're no longer involved in the process."
He stressed, however, that as part of the modernisation agenda under the pay programme Towards 2016, "we have proposed an item on the agenda on women in the Defence Forces". In Towards 2016, representative groups indicate what they will do for their pay increases over the next 2½ years.
Raco had written to the Minister in October on the issue but had yet to receive a reply.
Lieut Col O'Keeffe said that "there are complex issues involved" which had to be considered in the light of no overall increases in numbers. There were issues of lifestyle which particularly affected women with young families, especially since the Defence Forces increasingly focus on overseas missions.
Some 30 per cent of all officers are overseas at any one time. He said women were progressing through the ranks. One female officer is at lieutenant colonel level as a doctor, while the next most senior are at commandant level, the same as their male contemporaries.
