Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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13. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of technical grade vacancies that exist across the Defence Forces; his plans to fill them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3351/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to maintaining the strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, as set out in the White Paper on Defence.

To achieve this, there is significant on-going recruitment. In 2017 some 751 new personnel were inducted into the Permanent Defence Force, comprising of General Service Recruits, Cadets and specialists for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service. As of the 31st of December 2017, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 9,173 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) personnel.

There are approximately 4,400 appointments in the establishment for enlisted ranks that attract technical pay. These are graded on a scale of 1- 6 in order of the expertise required and range from higher graded appointments encompassing highly specialised positions such as radar technicians (Tech 6) to lower graded appointments encompassing positions such as stores clerks (Tech 1).

The military authorities have been requested to provide the information sought but were unable to do so in the timeframe for answering the question. I will revert to the Deputy when the information becomes available.

Other specialist posts such as Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers and certain technical posts are presenting challenges for recruitment and retention. I have previously acknowledged this fact, which is reflective of the current economic circumstances and attractive job opportunities in the private and commercial semi-state sectors.  The extensive professional training that such specialists receive within the Defence Forces makes such personnel very attractive within these sectors.  This is not a unique challenge for Ireland and is also faced by military forces elsewhere.

The Public Service Pay Commission is further examining the issue of the recruitment and retention of specialist personnel within the Defence Forces, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018 – 2020. The Department of Defence is currently preparing a submission in this regard. 

I am addressing the issue of specialist vacancies throughout the Permanent Defence Force with a range of recruitment methods, including direct entry competitions for certain specialist positions. The scope to further expand direct entry is being considered. I have also directed civil and military management to develop proposals to facilitate former PDF personnel with appropriate skill-sets to re-enter the Defence Forces.

Following acceptance by the Permanent Defence Force Representative Associations, the pay increases available under the Lansdowne Road agreement were applied to the Defence Forces. I was delighted that both PDFORRA and RACO have also signed up to the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 which is an extension of the Lansdowne Road agreement. This provides for further pay increase of between 6.2% and 7.4% over its lifetime. 

I remain committed to maximising recruitment of capable personnel, developing serving personnel, and so achieving the best personnel and skills combination to ensure the Defence Forces retain the capacity to operate effectively across all roles.