Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 February 2026
234. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the projected strength of the Permanent Defence Forces for each of the years 2026, 2027 and 2028, broken down by Army, Naval Service and Air Corps; and the projected inductions and projected discharges underpinning those projections. [15686/26]
View answerAs of the 31 January 2026, the latest date such figures are available for, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) stood at 7,767 personnel. Whilst figures provided by the Defence Forces for 2025, suggest a modest expansion in strength, greater recruitment is required to move towards the Commission on Defence Forces recommended target of 11,500 personnel, inclusive of a civilian component, by 2028.
It is very positive to see that interest in a career in the Defence Forces continues to grow, with a total of 16,510 applications received in 2025. It demonstrates that the key enabling measures which the Government has introduced to support and drive Defence Forces recruitment are yielding results.
The challenge now for the Defence Forces is to convert those applications into inductions.
I want to build on the progress achieved in 2025 and have set a target of 850 inductions for 2026.
A range of key enabling measures have been undertaken to tackle the recruitment and retention challenges over the last five years. These include increases in the maximum ages of recruitment and retirement respectively, the extension of private secondary healthcare to all personnel and the application of the provisions of the Working Time Directive across the Defence Forces subject to certain exemptions. The Patrol Duty allowance payable to Naval Service personnel at sea has been doubled after ten days at sea in a calendar year while the Naval Service tax credit has been extended for a further five years.
There continues to be significant progress on pay with all personnel benefiting from a pay award delivered earlier this 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
In relation to specific recruitment and retention targets, I am advised by Defence Forces management that a Strategic Workforce Plan is currently in development with a view to setting out a clear pathway to the achievement of Level of Ambition 2. A detailed forecasting model is being developed that will use scenario planning based on different assumptions, for example where recruitment and attrition rates improve, remain stable or deteriorate. This will allow the Defence Forces to project strength across the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps, and to identify the inductions and discharges underpinning those figures. The approach will also allow for early identification of emerging risks and associated mitigation measures to be put in place. I am advised that work on this project, which commenced late last year is ongoing and progressing well.
While recruitment and retention remains challenging, significant strides continue to be made on a number of fronts and the allocation of record levels of expenditure coupled with the many initiatives currently in train is illustrative of my commitment to the Defence Sector.
