Sir, - The statement of the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces and other unnamed senior military sources, reported on June 4th, confirms the extraordinary capitulation by the military authorities to the Representative Associations.
The Defence Act 1954 defines the Defence Forces as having several components, one of which is the Permanent Defence Force and one of which is An Forsa Cosanta Aituil. The command of these is vested by the Minister in the General Officers Commanding, and while the Chief of Staff has only a co-ordinating role in relation to the General Staff, his comments on such a vital matter as operational deployment (UN Service) indicates that from now on RACO and PDFORRA will decide who will or will not be deployed.
The Minister must state publicly whether he approves of the stated position of his commanders summarised as follows: 1. Personnel will not be ordered on military service (UN) because the COS does not "like doing it". 2. Despite the fact that the FCA are considered to be highly qualified, the opposition of RACO and PDFORRA prevents their utilisation, despite the fact that operational decisions are outside the scope of representation. 3. The "employment" of civilians is now the preferred option by the military, who have apparently thrown their hands in the air (without a shot being fired).
We cannot be too far away from the situation where a unit commander fulfilling a task calls for volunteers and, getting an inadequate response, will not "order" it done (because he does not like doing it) and rings the local FAS office for civilians. In the "deafness" damaged Army, this admission of defeat must surely be the ultimate demonstration that the Defence Force is definitely a joke.
Is this the unique ethos that is invoked from time to time by the spokesmen for RACO? RACO represents all commissioned officers except generals, so it effectively controls both sides of the table. The wisdom of this might well be the subject of mature reflection, given RACO's success in telling "management" what it may or may not do, surely making it the envy of many civilian trade unions.
The Minister might consider, in view of this very public surrender by the spokesman for his "commanders", whether public confidence might require the immediate replacement of all those who "don't like doing" what they are paid to do. He might also consider asking RACO (who after all now run the army) and PDFORRA why their own members, who command and train all FCA units in the country, have done such an apparently inadequate job for the last ten years (and consumed about £180 million of tax money in the process).
In the period 1969 to 1972, with the Army swamped by security tasks, thousands of FCA were immediately deployed with the PDF in identical duties. Army commanders could decide without the approval of RACO back then. The military authorities and successive Ministers have tried very hard to air brush out this part of military history.
In typical Irish decision-making fashion, we don't want to preempt the findings of the current review (heaven forbid) so we will continue for about three years more to allow the privileged members of RACO to enjoy substantive allowances (for stress) while presiding over the poorly trained, badly equipped and under-utilised Reserve Force. (The stated view of the Chief of Staff). Maybe the chain of command needs to be flushed! - Yours, etc., T. Murphy,
Ballincollig, Co. Cork.