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

There have been 443 discharges, which is fewer than last year. This year could be a turning point in the recruitment story. We hope that in respect of the retention issue, successfully raising the retirement age to 62 will have a significant effect next year and in the following year. Moreover, there are other measures we want to introduce, relating to instructors and so forth, that will have a beneficial impact. We have forced this pace, changed the modalities of recruitment and introduced significant incentives, as I outlined, such as private secondary healthcare, the patrol duty allowance and the extension of the naval tax credit.

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