Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 December 2025
304. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Defence if her Department will identify strategies used since 2022 to recruit persons into the Defence Forces in Ireland; the success which has been achieved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71257/25]
View answerThe current marketing strategy for Defence Forces recruitment ‘Be More with the Irish Defence Forces’, launched in 2022, highlights the opportunities a career in the Defence Forces can offer, where members can continuously train, improve and learn new skills, coupled with advantageous career advancement prospects.
In addition, the Defence Forces have engaged a Marketing and Media partner to assist with targeted recruitment advertising to ensure engagement with the recruitment demographic across social media and other media platforms. Specific advertising for specialist recruitment is placed in industry specific publications and websites.
The Defence Forces continue to broadcast this message through regular visits to schools and Education and Training Boards, in addition to frequent attendance at recruitment and career fairs/events. Furthermore, transition year students can avail of experiential placements within the organisation to undertake various programmes across several locations.
A range of measures have been undertaken to tackle recruitment and retention challenges in the Defence Forces over the last number of years. Notable among these have been the extension of private secondary healthcare to all PDF personnel, a doubling of the Patrol-Duty Allowance, the application of the provisions of the Working-Time Directive across the Defence Forces as well as significant progress on pay.
Figures provided by the Defence Forces for 2024 demonstrated a stabilisation in numbers while those provided to date for 2025 provide further cause for optimism in indicating a modest expansion in strength. It should be noted that there continues to be a very strong level of interest in a career in the Defence Forces with some 14,881 applications received to date in 2025, with an expected 775 inductions by year end. Both figures represent a significant increase on equivalent figures recorded for 2022 which saw 8,043 applications and 435 inductions respectively.
Budget 2026 includes an allocation of €1.49 billion for the Defence Sector, which incorporates a provision for the recruitment and training of at least a net additional 400 enlisted personnel in 2026. The Defence Forces have advised that they will target 800+ inductions in 2026.
