A new report has found the relationship between senior Irish Defence Force leaders and their Public Service counterparts has been “extremely strained” in recent times.
The assessment said the Department of Defence had voiced concern about tensions in its dealings with Defence Force officers in areas such as the division of powers, pay and conditions, and a perception Public Servants were micromanaging military affairs.
The report found that relations between the lower-level officials on both sides was generally cordial, but noted that middle management sometimes lacked the autonomy to make decisions.
The unpublished report, compiled by the Department of Public Expenditure as part of the Organisational Capability Review program, noted that staff complained about “widespread negative and at times hostile media coverage” of Defence, “especially on social media which has involved personalised attacks on some named senior officials”.
“This negative and critical media coverage has contributed to tensions in the military-civil relationship,” the report said.
“In response, the Department has started its own Twitter account and is more proactive in getting its message out there.”
The report said the civil-military relationship was also affected by “a palpable sense of frustration” among Defence Force members about a perceived failure by the Department to represent their interests and concerns to the Government.
This was particularly the case in the areas of pay and conditions, recruitment and retention.
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