Mr. Maurice Quinn:

In terms of the fantastic work that was done here during 2016, we watched closely. The amount of exposure that the Defence Forces had and the way they presented themselves and worked during that year, especially the visits to the schools, mean that one is a slow burner for the future. At the same time there was a downward movement in the number of applications because of the way the economy was picking up. It is hard to say which was which, to be honest, but we watched the matter. I am not aware of the proportion of applications that come from the Six Counties.

We watch and debate the age issue on an ongoing basis. It should always be remembered, and Deputy Ó Snodaigh probably saw it himself when he visited installations, that what we ask of an enlisted soldier is heavy work. Soldiers must lift heavy things and work in difficult environments. People can prolong their career if they progress through the ranks, and that is where that experience is kept. We have not yet got into looking at the overall retirement ages or structure. We do not propose to move the ages at present. It is part of our workforce planning out into the future. It is certainly something that we track and we track what is happening internationally as well with our military colleagues.