Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 September 2025
38. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the means by which he is examining incentives and structural changes to make a military career accessible to a wider range of candidates, and to encourage existing personnel to extend their military careers, including rewarding long service and broadening eligibility criteria. [48991/25]
View answerRecruitment and retention of Defence Forces personnel is a key priority for Government. Figures provided for 2024 indicate a stabilisation in numbers. There were 708 personnel inducted in 2024, the highest in over five years.
The government has introduced a wide range of initiatives aimed at improving recruitment and retention and making the Defence Forces a career of choice. These include an increase to the maximum recruitment age to 39, and to 50 for Direct Entry Officer specialists; an increase in the mandatory retirement age to 62; the application of the Working Time Directive across the Defence Forces in January of this year, (subject to certain exemptions); the extension of the provision of private secondary healthcare to all members of the Permanent Defence Force, in addition to unrivalled access to opportunities for education and training. Reforms and improvements have been also been made to family friendly policies, and proposed changes planned for better career progression and professional development opportunities. Other measures include a doubling of the patrol duty allowance and an extension of the Naval Service Tax Credit for a further five years. There has also been significant progress on pay, with the most recent increase implemented on 1 August 2025.
Recruitment to the Defence Forces remains ongoing through a diverse range of competitions for General Service and for specialised Direct Entry positions. Additional bespoke and once off competitions such as those currently advertising on the Defence Forces website for Grooms in the Equitation School and for a Dental Nurse provide further opportunities for perspective candidates who meet the entry criteria.
Challenges exist in recruiting and retaining certain specialists due to competing demands for such specialists in other sectors. In addition to traditional recruitment, a number of measures have been introduced aimed at restoring and retaining capacity and boosting specialist numbers. These include an ongoing scheme which permits former personnel with specialist skills to re-enter the Permanent Defence Force, Direct Entry is utilised in the recruitment of specialists, and the terms and conditions and scope of Direct Entry competitions remain under consideration pending the outcome of a review by external experts. The conditions for entry into and service in the Permanent Defence Force are subject to continuous review, having regard to the needs of the organisation and the development of best practice.
The Commission on Defence Forces (CoDF) Report recommended that Long Service Increments be introduced to the pay scales of all ranks of enlisted personnel. Discussions are ongoing with all the relevant stakeholders. The CoDF report also recommended the recruitment of a civilian Head of Strategic HR. He has been appointed to the Defence Forces, with the aim of achieving a modernised HR function within the Defence Forces.
I am open to exploring options to continue to drive recruitment and retention in the Defence Forces and, while any proposed initiatives must be carefully assessed against operational requirements and broader public pay policy, the allocation of record levels of spending to the Defence sector is illustrative of my ambitions in this regard.
