Written answers
Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Department of Defence
Defence Forces Recruitment
Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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422. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of planned and completed recruitment competitions for the Army, Naval Service, Air Corps and Army Reserve from 2017 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36201/20]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The military authorities have advised that all Permanent Defence Force competitions planned between 2017 and 2020 (to date) took place. The table below sets out the requested details for these competitions:
| PDF Competitions | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army General Service | 2 | 2 | * | * |
| Naval Service General Service | 2 | 3 | * | * |
| Air Corps Apprenticeship | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Cadetship (Army, Air Corp and Naval Service) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Army Direct Entry Medical Officer & Medical Medicine Scheme | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Army Direct Entry Specialist | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Naval Service Direct Entry Specialist | 3 | 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Re-enlist/Re-Commission Scheme (Army, Air Corp and Naval Service) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
*Ongoing recruitment throughout the year
Two recruitment competitions for the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) were planned and completed in each year from 2017 to 2019. One RDF competition was planned, and was completed, for early 2020. Further recruitment measures for the RDF are under consideration. The restrictions imposed in the interests of public health as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic have had a significant impact on certain Defence Forces activities, leading to difficulties in conducting inductions and training, including for the RDF, which has impacted on the intake of Reserve recruits in the latter half of the year.
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