IRG concludes ‘ruling elite’ of officers ensured enlisted personnel could not ‘challenge’ their position
Objectified, punished, watched by hidden cameras: Women in Defence Forces outline shocking behaviour they faced“The class hierarchy was characterised as ‘the elite and the rest’ and ‘master and servant’, with all the snobbery, condescension and denigrating attitudes and behaviour that go with that,” the IRG said of its interviews with former and serving Defence Forces members.
“The separation of facilities by officers [and] enlisted members fed into the same class system. In modern Ireland, this is not only unacceptable and baseless as a way of managing or leading an organisation, but it is ineffective in fostering an organisation where status and respect are earned, not gained as an automatic entitlement of rank,” the IRG said.
The IRG noted Ireland had “moved on from that bygone 1950s era” and the Defence Forces also needs to make “that modernising change from 1950s beliefs and behaviours to those of today, a 70-year leap”. This change must begin at the Cadet School and spread through the whole organisation. The IRG said one option would be to have “a common entry point” rather than some personnel entering the Defence Forces as officers and others as enlisted personnel. If all recruits joined on the same basis, and had equal status when they entered basic training, there could be “selection for specialist roles – including roles as officers – based on performance and demonstrated competencies”.
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