Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 82, 93, 102, 110 and 126 together.

On 31 October 2021, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force, PDF, was 8,572 whole-time equivalent personnel comprising 6,946 Army, 878 Naval Service and 748 Air Corps members. While the Government remains committed to returning to and maintaining the agreed strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, a number of factors, some of which are hard to predict, will impact on the timeframe in which this can be achieved.

I have acknowledged the ongoing staffing challenges in the Defence Forces, and a range of actions are designed to tackle this. Continuing recruitment has resulted in a total of 577 personnel being inducted as of 15 November. The scope of direct entry competitions was expanded in 2021 from ten competitions, to include a new Air Corps aircraft technician competition. Additionally, direct entry terms and conditions continue to be revised to improve intakes. The re-entry campaign for former members of the PDF continues.

On retention, there has been significant progress on pay arising out of increases due from recent pay agreements, the most recent of which was a 1% increase on annualised salaries, or €500, whichever is greater, on 1 October, with further increases to follow. There are now service commitment schemes in both the Air Corps and the Naval Service and a special naval service tax credit for seagoing personnel. Furthermore, in light of the particular challenges faced by the defence sector, the Government tasked the Public Service Pay Commission, PSPC, to undertake a comprehensive review and analysis of the underlying difficulties in recruitment and retention in the Defence Forces. I am confident the pay benefits delivered by the public service pay agreements, in tandem with the implementation of the PSPC's recommendations, will improve recruitment and retention challenges currently being experienced by the PDF.

Additionally, the Commission on the Defence Forces is due to submit its report by the end of the year and I look forward to receiving it in due course. The recommendations will then be fully considered and will inform future decisions regarding the Defence Forces. My focus remains on retaining and restoring the Permanent Defence Force to its full capacity, but it will take time for some of these measures to take full effect.

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