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

I thank the Deputy. The report of the commission on the Defence Forces made it clear that the level of ambition, LOA, for the Defence Forces needed to be elevated beyond that at which it is operating. In that context, the Government approved a move over a six-year period to a level of Defence Forces capability equivalent to LOA 2 in the report. This will require an additional 2,000 personnel beyond the current establishment figure of 9,500. Because we are well below 9,500 now, the figure is slightly above 3,000, rather than 2,000, to get to where we need to be by the end of 2028.

The Defence Forces are developing strategies to increase recruitment and address the current shortfall in numbers. The target is to realise a Defence Forces strength of 11,500 by 2028, incorporating an appropriate civilian component. A joint civil-military implementation management office has been established to support the implementation of the overall transformation programme required to implement the recommendations of the report of the commission on the Defence Forces. A number of early actions arising from recommendations in the report are also being progressed.

A number of initiatives are under way to counter existing staffing challenges. General service and direct entry recruitment is ongoing and has resulted in 358 inductions as of 31 October this year, with further inductions due to take place before the end of the year. A separate recruitment competition has been launched specifically for Air Corps recruits, who in the past were drawn from a wider general service recruitment pool.

The re-entry schemes for former personnel have boosted specialist numbers. The terms and conditions and scope of direct entry competitions remain under consideration as does the maximum recruitment age for all competitions. The Be More recruitment campaign, launched this year, highlights the career opportunities available in the Defence Forces and the wider benefits of membership in line with a recommendation of the commission on the Defence Forces that these be made known.

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