Mil News Ireland's Defence Forces in the last chance saloon

That was an interesting read, thanks. What do you think is the view of the average member of the Irish public (ie - taxpayer)? Angry at the cost-cutting, or would rather see the defence budget spent somewhere else?
 
That was an interesting read, thanks. What do you think is the view of the average member of the Irish public (ie - taxpayer)? Angry at the cost-cutting, or would rather see the defence budget spent somewhere else?
I dont think the average person even knows we have a defence force, most of the "crusties" and "ra" lovers would love to see it gone, the "crusties" because they think they would get more free dosh on the social welfare, the "ra" lovers to legitimise the claim they were the real freedom fighters for a 32 county republic.

I served from 1976-1997 a little over 21 years, and personally find the treatment of the men and women disgusting, recent revelations into sexual harassment and rape of female members of all ranks as come to light.

Serving soldiers who are married with family's having to get Social Welfare Supplementary payments just to survive and pay basic bills as the pay is so low.

A Department of Defence so out of touch they returned 97 million euro unspent back to the exchequer even after savage unit disbandment, military personnel cuts, and the closure of the Western Command. (Yet despite the reductions no member of the DoD was cut just a large staff of paper pushers doing damage while waiting to get enough time for a big fat state pension.

Despite cutbacks and trimming the fat they continue to have a yearly cadet class churning out officers with no positions for them (its back to the pre 1997 situation of too many chiefs not enough Indians.)

Members of the elite A.R.W. are owed thousands for extra work hours but as yet they have not got a penny.

A navy with too few trained personnel so at least 2-3 ships are tied up due to lack of crew or maintenance.
 
Another point made recently, Southern Ireland is awash with hard drugs, and so called soft drugs, no naval resources to interdict drugs being dropped off the coast, drug shipments are going into Northern Ireland from the South then onto the U.K., as well as going from the Republic to the U.K. via ferries going to Wales.

Agitation already exists with regards the DUP and the creation of an UK and Irish Border post Brexit, they intimate if the Republic wants to enforce a border they will have to finance it, at this point in time putting a hard border into place such as existed from 1968 up until the so called Good Friday Agreement in 1998/99 is virtually impossible, before the ink was barely dry on paper, the Irish Defence Forces were taking down their border security posts having been assured by the politicos, well they will never be needed again.
The terrorists never fully went away did they, they mostly diversified into drug smuggling, diesel fuel washing, booze/cigarette smuggling etc.. etc..
a hard core group never gave up their weapons and have been responsible for a number of deaths.

If the S**t hits the fan now, Ireland will be hard pressed to get resources up and running fast, many trained men are leaving the force in droves as they see no point in staying. Others can only make ends meet by doing multiple rotations out to Lebanon as U.N. peacekeepers a few extra schillings in that, but, time away from family.
 
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