Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 141: To ask the Minister for Defence his views on the call by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to raise the minimum age for membership of the Defence Forces to 18; the number of personnel under 18 who are currently full members or in training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6336/08]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I have carefully considered the recent report of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child including the suggesting of raising the minimum age for recruitment to the Defence Forces. Attracting, training and retaining good calibre personnel are key factors in maintaining the successful operation of the Defence Forces at home and abroad. The Defence Forces compete to attract these personnel and the current arrangements governing the age for recruitment forms part of the overall human resources strategy.

Under Defence Forces Regulations and Administrative Instructions, the minimum age for 'general service enlistment' to all branches of the Defence Forces is 17 years. General service enlistment is immediately followed by a basic training period of several months, before the recruit is "passed out" as an active member of the PDF. The duration and structure of this training is such that few enlisted personnel become available for any operational military duties within the State while they are under 18 years of age. Members of the Defence Forces must be over 18 years of age before they are deployed abroad on peace support operations.

The minimum age of entry for cadets is also 17 years. Cadets undergo a structured programme of training of more than 12 months duration that leads to the award of a Commission as a junior Officer.

The minimum age of entry for the Reserve Defence Force is also 17. Members of the Reserve are not accepted as being trained to the minimum standard required for Reserve operations until they have completed their 'Three Star Private' Course that is normally conducted in the second year of service. Therefore the vast majority of Reserve entrants are not eligible for any operational military duties until they are at least of age 18.

There is one exception to the legal minimum age of 17 years. Regulations currently permit the recruitment of trade 'apprentices' for the PDF specifically as trade apprentices from the age of 16 onwards. However, administrative practice is to set the minimum entry age for PDF apprentice entrants at 17 years. Apprentice entrants are assigned to special technological courses of training and study lasting for 3-4 years. Apprentices are not assigned to military duties until they have completed their specialist technical/ technological training.

In practice, therefore, Defence Forces personnel who are under 18 years of age are essentially in the preliminary stages of training. They remain under the direct supervision of experienced and competent Officers and Non Commissioned Officers. They are within a supportive and structured military training system that optimises their development and continually reviews and assesses their progress in training.

Applicants for the Defence Forces who are under 18 years of age must have the written consent of a parent or a legal guardian.

In recent years, about 22% of the personnel intake into the Permanent Defence Force has been under 18 years of age at entry. There are currently 29 personnel serving in the PDF who are under 18 years of age, 27 of whom are still in training. There are currently 251 personnel serving in the Reserve Defence Force who are under 18 years of age. Of these 199 are undergoing recruit training, 34 are undergoing "Two-Star" to "Three-Star" training and the remaining 18 have achieved Private Three-Star rank.

In the light of the foregoing explanation and the requirement to attract good personnel and key skills to the PDF and to local units of the RDF, I do not propose to amend the minimum age for recruitment to the Defence Forces.