Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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3. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the steps he is taking to address staffing shortages in the Defence Forces. [19970/23]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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This question is in the name of Deputy Cairns but will be taken by Deputy Gannon.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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What steps is the Tánaiste taking to address the staffing shortages in the Defence Forces? I believe we are currently approximately 4,000 short of where we should be.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The military authorities advise that, as of 31 March 2023, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,807. The current establishment of the Defence Forces is 9,500. Sanction has recently been received for 100 extra positions to facilitate the implementation of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. This is in addition to the pending appointments of a civilian head of strategic HR and a civilian head of transformation in the Defence Forces. 

I have previously acknowledged the current staffing difficulties in the Defence Forces and work is ongoing to counter these. The problem is most acute in the enlisted ranks as officer ranks remain above establishment. The military authorities advise that current recruitment initiatives include ongoing general service and direct entry recruitment, the re-entry schemes, the "Be More" recruitment campaign and a Naval Service-specific recruitment campaign.  A contract has recently been awarded to a marine specialist recruitment body to target individuals with the skills and expertise required by the Naval Service. The Defence Forces have established a joint induction training centre in Gormanston with a view to increasing the throughput of recruits.

A range of financial and non-financial retention measures have been introduced by the Government such as service commitment schemes, tax measures and a recent agreement to further extend the service of post-1994 privates and corporals, allowing for their continuance in service to the end of 2024. There has also been significant progress on pay. Current pay rates including military service allowances for recruits on completion of their training start at €37,147 in year 1, rising to €38,544 in year 2 and €39,832 in year 3 of service.

Arising from the completion of an early action of the Commission on the Defence Forces report endorsing the commitment in the programme for Government, I have recently secured agreement on extending the provision of healthcare to all members of the Permanent Defence Force. All personnel can now avail of private secondary medical care, a facility only available to officers up to now. This is in addition to the comprehensive primary medical and dental care available to all personnel.  

My immediate focus is on stabilising the numbers of personnel in the Defence Forces and thereafter increasing strength to meet the agreed level of ambition arising from the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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I thank the Tánaiste for his answer. This really comes down to the housing crisis. I grew up with a lot of people who went on to serve in the armed forces. McKee Barracks is right beside where I grew up. There is great pride among people who want to serve. I know several people who served, who then came out of the Defence Forces and into the private sector and who are now trying to get back in.

Last week, through a parliamentary question I submitted, it was revealed that 70% of Defence Forces accommodation remains idle with nobody living within it. That is despite the fact that one of the big reasons that people are removing themselves from the Defence Forces is that they cannot afford rent and they do not have the capacity to earn enough to get a mortgage. If we are to improve morale and look at the basic necessities that all people, including members of our Defence Forces, need, we need to look at issues such as Defence Forces accommodation. The Tánaiste has done fantastic work in restoring access to medical care for Defence Forces personnel. That is really important. Can we now look at housing? Can we get Defence Forces accommodation back into circulation? Some of the housing we have at our disposal at the moment - I believe 120 houses are lying idle - would go some way towards improving morale.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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There has been very significant investment in accommodation within the Defence Forces. I refer to single accommodation. This mainly relates to programmes of induction and training on recruitment. For example, one of the more significant investments was made in the naval centre at Haulbowline. Some very historic buildings there have been refurbished in a very well-designed and aesthetically pleasing way to facilitate good-quality accommodation. That has happened in Cathal Brugha Barracks and other barracks as well. I will provide details in respect of that in the reply to a later parliamentary question. I also recently halted the demolition of up to 12 houses at the Curragh with a view to having them refurbished for accommodation purposes. It has been traditional policy for more than 20 years not to house personnel. We have been weaning off that programme, although quite a number of Army personnel are still housed within quarters. That matter is open to question but we have to be realistic as to the meaningful impact that could have on people on housing lists and so on. However, in the first instance, there is now significant investment being made in accommodation at barracks. There is an open question as to what more we can do over and above that.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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At the very minimum, we should look at the stock we already have at our disposal. I believe we can reanimate some of it and get Defence Forces staff back into it. This may even be an emergency situation. There was a report in The Irish Timestwo weeks ago regarding a young woman, a member of the Defence Forces who had a child, who ended up homeless and sleeping in a car when the Defence Forces, which previously might have offered temporary accommodation until she got back on her feet, were not in a position to do so. That motivated the question I asked about the stock we have. I do not want to use the word "brave" but we need to be more open-minded with regard to bringing some of that accommodation back on track. It cannot simply lie idle. St. Bricin's Hospital is another example.

In the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, there is a target of 11,600. We are approximately 4,000 short of that figure. We are making good strides incrementally but are we going to lose more people than we can bring into the system? That is a big fear I have. With regard to the steps he is taking, is the Tánaiste confident that we can put basic measures, such as those relating to pay, in place within that timeframe? I understand that staffing at officer level is at the establishment figure but we seem to be having problems at the lower ranks. Is the Tánaiste confident we can address those issues?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am confident we can address the issues but we have some journey to go before we will see a net increase with more staff being recruited than retiring. That is particularly the case with the Naval Service. I am very concerned about the Naval Service. I have had discussions with the flag officer and the Chief of Staff in that regard. The numbers within the Naval Service are a serious concern. We are extending access to private secondary healthcare with a view to improving quality of life for people working in our Defence Forces. In some barracks, we have invested in state-of-the-art gym facilities, which allow Defence Forces personnel to save some small degree of income by not having to purchase membership in an external facility. I recently saw a first-class facility of that kind in Kilkenny. It is our aim for every barracks to have such a first-class facility. I want all barracks accommodation refurbished with a view to using it for accommodation purposes. I do not want it demolished or anything like that. It is then for us to determine how that use will be prioritised.