Defence Force members felt 'undervalued and overworked'

Updated / Thursday, 29 Oct 2026 14:53

The Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces has said updated definitions of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour across the organisation have become part of its training, briefings and regulations.

Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy told the second public meeting of the External Oversight Body of the Defence Forces (EOBDF) that members had felt ''undervalued and overworked''.

Earlier this year, the body heard that 24% of members of the Irish Defence Forces reported ''unacceptable behaviour'' as part of an annual staff survey.

Lieutenant General Mulcahy said the defence forces are ''working hard'' to deal with cases in a more timely manner and that a new complaint system is being designed with a streamlined access portal to allow each complainant access the right process from the outset.

According to the Defence Forces 2025 value our people survey, 5,362 members representing 60% of the organisation took part.

Appearing before the External Oversight Body, Lieutenant General Mulcahy described the findings as ''challenging''.

He added that trust in the forces' grievance process is low and that a culture of fear of reprisal continues to persist.

However, he also told the oversight body that the survey also contained many positive elements including camaraderie, a sense of purpose about making a difference and a '' real pride that our people have for service''.

The EOBDF was set up by the government in 2023 and became a statutory body in 2024.

In her opening remarks, Chairperson Patricia King said its role is to oversee and monitor the management of human resources of the Defence Forces by the Defence Forces.

Addressing members of the Defence Forces' senior leadership team, Ms King added that the public meetings are held to ''enhance accountability and transparency'' about the transformation and culture of the defence forces.

The 2026 survey is due to get underway next month, and the defence forces said it will inform them about how they are progressing with reform and will also give further insights to the challenges that remain.