RACO, the Defence Forces representative organisation has responded to a request from Government to assist with aviation security duties at Dublin Airport should they need arise, expressing its concern that the measure is another example of army personnel being used as emergency cover to compensate for management decisions in other state bodies.
Athlone based Conor King, General Secretary of RACO, this week stated that the representative organisation want more clarity on what is expected of their members.
“RACO has learned that the Government has supported a request from the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, for members of the Defence Forces to undergo training and be on stand-by to assist the DAA with the provision of aviation security duties at Dublin Airport.
“This is in contrast to previous statements by Minister for Defence, Deputy Simon Coveney and An Taoiseach, Deputy Mícheál Martin, which categorically ruled out the deployment of the army, and confirmed that it was a human resources issue for DAA to solve.
“Once again the Defence Forces are turned to in the country’s time of need, and will undoubtedly step up as the State’s insurance policy. We are concerned however that this is another example of the Defence Forces being used as emergency cover to compensate for management decisions in other state bodies.
“We need clarity on the type of roles our members will be expected to perform, what their working conditions will be, and what compensation they will be receiving for their work. We must not ignore the recommendation of the Commission on the Defence Forces to end the ‘free labour aspect of military service’, which would be a further blow to morale in the organisation,” the RACO General Secretary, asserted.
Defence Forces personnel are expected to begin training immediately, the expectancy being to cover the busy holiday period.
“We must ensure that our personnel are fairly treated, and adequately compensated for their work. Another concern is what essential training, career development or activities are being cancelled to facilitate this new task? We are already struggling to fulfil our existing roles due to a failure to retain personnel,” RACO President Martin Ryan commented.
“On the day that the Defence Memo was supposed to be presented to government as the roadmap to finally strengthening our Defence Forces, it is hoped that this new task for the State’s most loyal servants does not signal an intent to continue doing more with less for Óglaigh na hÉireann,” RACO General Secretary Derek Priestley, concluded.
Members of the Defence Forces will only be deployed if more than 20 percent of airport security staff are out of work due to Covid-19.
