Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Unfortunately, there is not. It is an issue we considered carefully. There has been substantial reorganisation in the Defence Forces, which was necessary to achieve the appropriate numbers of personnel across the range of areas and duties and ensure we did not have numbers at officer or senior officer level beyond what was required.

We must use our resources wisely. The 21-year rule was in place when people joined the Defence Forces and no one was misled into believing that automatic promotions would be forthcoming. Promotions are not automatic and there are rules and regulations relating to them.

It is very important that there should continue to be an age balance across the Defence Forces in order that staff might have the capability to carry out all of their operational duties. There is a need for constant renewal within the Defence Forces. When I became Minister, we were faced with a situation whereby the possibilities for recruiting were limited. That remained the case for a number of years and there was a risk that the strength of the Defence Forces would fall to somewhere in the region of 7,000 to 7,500. The Government made a decision to the effect that the objective strength of the Defence Forces should be 9,500. This was conditional on our using resources wisely and reorganising appropriately, which is what we have done. The consequences of that are that we are in a state of constant renewal. This is in the interest of the Defence Forces themselves and it is also in the public interest.

As members are aware, in excess of 400 young people were recruited to the Defence Forces last year. This renewal only occurs in the context of people retiring either when they reach the prescribed retirement age. It would be quite wrong to create promotions that are not required simply in order to retain people within the Defence Forces. I very much appreciate that many of those who have served the State well as members of the Defence Forces for 21 years would aspire to remain in their positions. The great benefit for them upon ceasing to be members of the Defence Forces is that employment opportunities of the sort that are not always available to the wider public become open to them. I understand that there are those who would wish to stay on longer. However, I cannot change the rules and regulations which are in place in that context.