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

First, Deputy Clarke knows only too well what the qualification criteria are for the seagoing service commitment scheme. We were required to put those criteria in place to ensure the scheme was not just seen as a way of securing a pay rise. We are looking at whether we can review the qualification criteria to get more people into the scheme, which would be helpful.

Deputy Stanton has asked me before about the psychometric tests. I have had conversations in this regard with people in the Defence Forces. Two things need to happen in terms of recruitment. First, we need to maintain standards. There must be thresholds and processes to ensure people who join the Defence Forces are suitable and will thrive within the rigours of serving in uniform. We cannot just lower those standards because we want to bring in more people. Second, although I know it is not what the Deputy is asking me, there is a valid question as to whether, be it by way of psychometric tests, fitness tests or otherwise, we can look to a process whereby we assess people over time and train them into becoming more suitable, rather than having cut-off points whereby large numbers of people fall out of the system.

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