Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There were a number of issues there. The pause in psychometric testing for the Naval Service continues but we will have an evaluation of it.

Specific advertising for specialist recruitment is placed in industry-specific publications. Deputy Dillon talked about campaigns and websites. As part of the Naval Service-specific recruitment campaign, the second phase of an advertisement was launched in October of this year and it is planned that it will run until early December. The marketing strategy for the Defence Forces recruitment rebrand, “Be More with the Irish Defence Forces”, which was launched in 2022, aligns the desire of the target demographic to continuously improve and learn new skills with ensuring long-term career advancement by ably demonstrating the opportunities a career in the Defence Forces offers.

The Defence Forces continue to broadcast this message through regular visits to schools and frequent attendance at recruitment and career fair events. Transition year students can avail of placements within the organisation to undertake various programmes in a number of locations demonstrating career opportunities. In fact, Deputy Dillon attended the ploughing championships and will have seen the presentation by the Defence Forces.

On female recruitment initiatives, we have implemented specific measures to increase the level of female participation in the Permanent Defence Force. We have established a female-specific recruitment team, which co-ordinates the attendance of tri-service females in specific recruiting teams at national, regional and local levels.

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