Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 3 October 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence
Current Issues Facing Members of the Defence Forces: Representative Association of Commissioned Officers
Mr. Cian O'Mearain:
Could I add to that? Although the US authorities may have said that this is not the major factor, they did not say that they do not pay them. They pay substantial bonuses. What one must remember is the US social context. There are other reasons people join the military - for healthcare and to get a college education. In the absence of those drivers here, we need to look elsewhere.