Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is good to know there is stabilisation. Hopefully, stabilisation and an increase in enlistment would give more momentum to recruitment and obviously to the important retention aspect as well.

The programme for Government has a welcome commitment to build on improvements in the recruitment process, including a nationwide programme for transition year and third level students and better representation of women at all levels of the Defence Forces. Are there particular measures being implemented this year to implement those commitments?

Also, there is a commitment to examine incentives and structural changes to make a military career accessible to a wider range of candidates and to encourage existing personnel to extend their military careers. Far too often, I have seen very young people leave the Defence Forces with the ludicrous situation a few years ago where some people had to leave after 20 years' service. There were young women and men in their early forties who were forced to retire. It made no sense whatsoever. Most of them have gone on to other careers. I made representations on behalf of many of them but they could not be kept on because of the contract they went in under. I sincerely hope that no organ of the State will ever introduce such a type of recruitment and terms of employment in the future.

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