Written answers

Tuesday, 28 March 2017

Department of Defence

Defence Forces Strength

Photo of Lisa ChambersLisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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641. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the measures he has taken to resolve critical resourcing since being notified of restricted outputs due to manpower shortages in June 2016 in view of recent reports which confirm the inadequate resourcing of Defence Forces units such as pilots and air traffic controllers, [15156/17]

Photo of Lisa ChambersLisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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643. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the short, medium and long term Defence Forces strategic human resource measures that are being considered to address the manning crisis in order to deliver the critical state outputs that are designed and mandated by Government. [15158/17]

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 641 and 643 together.

The 2015 White Paper on Defence sets the defence policy agenda for the next ten years. It also highlights a number of medium and long term strategies in the area of manpower planning. The White Paper addresses the need to review and develop medium term planning requirements so as to deliver an effective and efficient mix in terms of age profile, skills, competencies and experience, and current policies to support this will be further developed and implemented. To that end, White Paper projects are currently underway and are being jointly developed by military and civil personnel.

In addition, the purpose of the recent Defence Forces Climate Survey is to inform consideration of the ongoing human resource and strategic needs of the Defence Forces. The responses to the issues raised in the Climate Survey resulted in the formulation of an Action Plan which is being led by the Chief of Staff.

The Government in the White Paper on Defence 2015, committed to a Permanent Defence Force establishment of at least 9,500 serving personnel. To this end, the Defence Forces have recruited 690 personnel in 2016 and have an overall recruitment target of 850 to 900 personnel across all three services in this current year. The Defence Forces continue to recruit at cadet, specialist and general service levels for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service. Both the General Service and Cadet competitions are currently open and competitions for direct entry watch keepers in the Naval Service will result in inductions shortly.

The retention of personnel, particularly experienced Pilot Officers in the Air Corps, has been a significant challenge for the Defence Organisation in recent years. Actions are underway to return a full level of air traffic control services to the Air Corps. In relation specifically to the resourcing of Air Traffic Controllers, six (6) Air Traffic Services personnel are part-way through their training and a further eight students commenced training on Monday, 27 March 2017. 

At present there are 3 Cadet Classes, totalling 27 personnel at various stages of Pilot Officer training. Of the 27, seven (7) are due to qualify as pilots at the end of 2017. In addition, an Air Corps Pilot Cadetship competition was launched on 22 March 2017, with a planned intake of up to 12 Cadets in the third quarter of this year. However, it will take some time for cadets, when qualified, to develop their skills and expertise. It is envisaged that a return to previous levels of capability in the Air Corps will be a gradual process and will be governed by the overarching requirements of safety.

There are a number of wider initiatives in place to address recruitment and retention across the Defence Forces. One of the key policies supporting personnel retention is the opportunity for extensive personal and professional development offered by the Defence Forces through accredited courses, and the unique features of the military environment. It is also the case that the extensive professional training they receive makes them very attractive within the private sector. Additionally, the new Public Service Pay Commission has been tasked with providing objective analysis and advice on the most appropriate pay levels for the public service, including the Defence Forces.

In relation to the Reserve Defence Force, it is anticipated that the next recruitment campaign will commence in the second half of 2017. Under the current phase of implementation of White Paper actions two relate specifically to the RDF i.e. attracting recruits from all backgrounds and conducting a skills survey with a view to establishing a Specialist Reserve.

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