Dáil debates

Thursday, 12 May 2022

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions

Defence Forces

10:30 am

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

There were a number of questions. First, with regard to strength, as colleagues will know, in the Army, the establishment is 7,520 and the current strength is 6,778. In the Air Corps, the establishment is 886 and the current strength is 733.

In the Naval Service, the establishment is 1,094 and the strength stands at 855.

We have a challenge here. While it is about recruitment, it is also about capacity in terms of training and about retention, on which the commission carried out quite a lot of work. In some parts of our Defence Forces, there is not, in fact, a significant retention issue relative to that in other defence forces and other sectors of the economy in the context of turnover rates. Nevertheless, in other areas of the Defence Forces there is a high turnover rate and we need to respond to that with targeted policy and funding initiatives, which I hope we will be able to do.

I cannot yet confirm what I will bring to the Government. Of course, anything to do with pay and allowances involves a discussion with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Minister at that Department, Deputy Michael McGrath. Those discussions are under way, as might be expected given we are planning to bring a memorandum to the Government next month.

On the ICTU issue, this is not as straightforward as some people make out, according to our legal advice. We have received legal advice from the Attorney General on what we can and cannot do and how to do it. As I have said to many serving personnel I have met in the past week, we are very close to making a final decision on this issue. I hope to be able to do that before the middle of next week.

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