Liam Quaide
Question:
355. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Defence the number of serving members of the Defence Forces based in Cork who have applied for discharge in each of the past three years; the primary reasons cited for leaving service; the measures being taken to address these issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12918/26]
View answer
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Orders.
The military authorities have supplied the requested information as outlined in the table in the accompanying document which provides a breakdown of the number of serving members of the Defence Forces based in Cork who applied for discharge from the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) in the past 3 years as well as the reasons for discharge as recorded by the PDF.
As of the 31 January 2026, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) stood at 7,767 personnel which represents an increase of almost 200 personnel on the total of 7,557 recorded at the end of 2024.
I want to build on the progress achieved in 2025 and have set a target of 850 inductions for 2026.
Government has introduced a number of key enabling measures to support and drive recruitment to the Defence Forces. These include increases in the maximum ages of recruitment and retirement, the extension of private secondary healthcare to all personnel, the application of the provisions of the Working Time Directive across the Defence Forces subject to certain exemptions, increases to Patrol Duty allowance payable to Naval Service personnel at sea, and the extension of the Naval Service tax credit to 2029.
In addition, there continues to be significant and notable progress on pay with all personnel benefiting from a pay award delivered last month with a further increase due in June.
Underpinning these and other measures, I ensured that Budget 2026 provided a record allocation of €1.49 billion for the Defence Sector, an increase of €145 million on 2025. These funds include provision for the recruitment of a net 400 additional PDF members per annum.
While some challenges remain in regard to recruitment and retention, the enabling measures undertaken along with the allocation of record levels of expenditure are illustrative of my commitment to the Defence sector.
