The military authorities have advised that the number of female personnel in the Permanent Defence Force as at 30 April 2025, the latest date for which this figure is available, stood at 563.
Table A below sets out the number of women that were inducted into Air Corps (AC) as compared to the numbers of women inducted into the Army and Naval Service (NS) from 2020 to 2025 as at 30 April.
Table A:
|
-
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
2023
|
2024
|
2025
|
|
AC Female Inductions
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
5
|
8
|
0
|
|
Army Female Inductions
|
34
|
25
|
32
|
24
|
25
|
6
|
|
NS Female Inductions
|
7
|
15
|
2
|
8
|
7
|
2
|
Table B below sets out the number of women who applied for the Air Corps (AC) as compared to the number of women who applied to the Army and Naval Service (NS) from 2020 to 2025 as at 30 April.
Table B:
|
-
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
2023
|
2024
|
2025
|
|
AC Female Applications
|
130
|
137
|
136
|
257
|
469
|
233
|
|
Army Female Applications
|
839
|
733
|
791
|
695
|
1039
|
449
|
|
NS Female Applications
|
230
|
272
|
203
|
165
|
221
|
123
|
Table C below sets out the number of women who were inducted into the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) as compared to the overall number of personnel inducted from 2020 to 2025 as at 30 April.
Table C:
|
-
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
2023
|
2024
|
2025
|
|
Female Inductions into PDF
|
44
|
44
|
37
|
37
|
40
|
8
|
|
Total Inductions into PDF
|
538
|
576
|
435
|
415
|
708
|
161
|
|
% of Total inductions
|
8%
|
8%
|
9%
|
9%
|
6%
|
5%
|
In line with current policies and commitments, a number of initiatives have been implemented to increase the level of female participation in the Permanent Defence Force. These include the establishment by the Defence Forces of a female specific recruitment team which co-ordinates attendance of tri-service female specific recruiting teams at national and regional level events, fitness test requirements are tailored for females, and the Recruitment Office actively reach out to female applicants in the recruitment pipeline in order to support them throughout the application process as appropriate.
In response to the Deputy’s specific query about efforts by the Defence Forces to raise awareness amongst female secondary level students in the local catchment of South Dublin County Council, the military authorities have advised that the Air Corps have attended a careers event in St. Joseph's College Lucan. In addition, the Air Corps has facilitated visits from a number of schools to Casement Aerodrome several of which are local to the facility.
The Government remains committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women throughout the Defence Forces and to the full participation by women in all aspects of Defence Forces activities.
