RACO Will Tell Oireachtas Cttee. That Defence Forces Members Are Under-Valued.

Tuesday, 29 June 2021 09:31

2 Kildare TDs sit on the committee.

Members of the Defence Forces are undervalued, overstretched and leaving in droves.

That's according to the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, which will appear before an Oireachtas Foreign Affairs andDefence Committee today.

Kildare South Independent TD, Cathal Berry, and Kildare North Fianna Fáil TD, James Lawless, are members of the committee.

The Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence will meet representatives of The Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO)@RACO_DF tomorrow, Tuesday 29 June, to discuss issues related to the Defence Forces #seeforyourself https://t.co/wnEvC712YO pic.twitter.com/ooFlb2tsWT
— Houses of the Oireachtas - Tithe an Oireachtais (@OireachtasNews) June 28, 2021

RACO says the greatest challenge facing the Defence Forces currently is staffing, with the organsation's strength at an all time low of 8,500.

General Secretary of RACO, Commandant Conor King, says highly-trained personnel aren't staying due to pay and conditions:

@RACO_DF Gen Sec Comdt @ConorKing1980, Dep Gen Sec Lt Col D Priestley and President Comdt @LukeFoley10 will address @OireachtasNews FA & Defence Committee tomorrow on a range of issues relating to the ongoing and unresolved @defenceforces Retention Crisis. https://t.co/qijwhredu5 https://t.co/Ifjb8qVnzA
— RACO (@RACO_DF) June 28, 2021

Commandant King says the Defence Forces has been vital during the pandemic and members deserve appropriate remuneration:

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