Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 January 2026
273. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Defence the number of new recruits entering the Defence Forces in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3554/26]
View answerThe table below outlines the number of recruits inducted into the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) from 2020 to 2025 as requested by the Deputy.
|
Year |
Number of Recruits Inducted |
|
2021 |
442 |
|
2022 |
350 |
|
2023 |
311 |
|
2024 |
577 |
|
2025 |
632 |
I am advised by the Defence Forces that a total of 790 personnel were inducted into the Permanent Defence Force in 2025. This compares favourably with the total of 708 inductions achieved in 2024 and in fact amounts to the highest number of inductions in twenty years.
It should be noted that the growth in interest in a career in the Defence Forces increased significantly again during 2025 with 16,510 applications received across all competitions- an increase of 24% on the previous year. Applications for General Service Recruitment amounted to over 13,000- an increase of 29% on 2024.
As these figures indicate, the Defence Forces are making concerted efforts to increase recruitment. Entry to a career in the Defence Forces remains open via a wide range of pathways including general service recruitment, re-entry schemes and eight Naval Service specific direct entry competitions. A range of new recruitment competition streams were successfully launched over the past number of years and continued through 2025. These include new competitions for Air Traffic Controller Cadetships, Aircraft Maintenance Technicians, Grooms in the Equitation School and Dental Nurses.
The Government has implemented a range of measures aimed at supporting and encouraging recruitment to the Defence Forces. These include an increase in the maximum recruitment age to 39 years for those roles that had a recruitment age below that, and to 50 years for Direct Entry Specialists. The mandatory retirement age has been increased to 62, private secondary healthcare has been rolled out to all PDF members, the patrol duty allowance has been doubled, the Naval Service Tax Credit has been extended for a further five years and there has also been significant progress on pay.
Underpinning these and other measures, Budget 2026 has provided a record allocation of €1.49 billion. In relation to specific recruitment targets, this allocation provides for the recruitment of at least a net additional 400 personnel per annum.
As Minister for Defence, I am determined to meet and overcome the recruitment and retention challenges in the Defence Forces and the allocation by this Government of an unprecedented level of expenditure to the Defence sector coupled with the suite of measures currently in train is illustrative of my intent in this regard.
