Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2026
151. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Defence if suitable qualified civilians can apply for vacancies within the Defence Forces School of Music; and whether all vacancies are normally filled by personnel within the Defence Forces. [47421/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Defence, I am fully committed to supporting and strengthening recruitment and retention in the Permanent Defence Force.
The Military Authorities advise that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) stood at 7,741 personnel on the 30 April, the latest date for which this figure is available. This represents a year on year increase of more than 200 personnel.
Opportunities for careers in the Defence Forces remain open via a diverse range of ongoing competitions including general service recruitment, re-entry schemes and multiple direct entry competitions for specialist roles. A number of new competitions have launched in recent weeks including competitions for Instrumentalists, Aircraft Maintenance Technicians and Aerospace Technicians.
In the case of the latter, the Defence Forces advise me that skilled musicians are recruited through dedicated external recruitment competitions for instrumentalists. Competitions for instrumentalists are held periodically for available positions in various Defence Forces Bands. These positions are open to all candidates who fulfil the eligibility criteria as outlined in the terms and conditions of the competition concerned. Typically, instrumentalist positions are filled through external recruitment rather than by existing members of the Defence Forces. Additional information may be found on the Defence Forces website, military.ie where the terms and conditions governing the 2026 enlistment of instrumentalists in the Defence Forces School of Music and those pertaining to all other active competitions are available.
