John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

394. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of women in the Defence Forces by rank; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54173/21]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

395. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of women in the Defence Forces who are currently serving overseas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54174/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 394 and 395 together.

As at 30th September 2021, there were 565 Permanent Defence Force (PDF) personnel serving overseas, of which 19 were female. On the same date, there were 8,504 wholetime equivalent personnel in the PDF of which 605 were female. The requested breakdown of this strength, by rank, is as follows:

In line with current policies and commitments a number of initiatives have been implemented to increase the level of female participation in the Permanent Defence Force. These include:

- Special consideration is paid to women as a target group for recruitment within the general recruitment framework.

- A Gender Equality and Diversity Officer has been appointed to promote gender equality policies and training within the Defence Forces. The Defence Forces are committed to gender equality and employ a gender perspective in the planning and execution of operations both at home and overseas and in all policies and regulations. Gender Advisors are available to all Brigades and Services and trained Gender Focal Points are deployed with all overseas units and ships in order to promote a gender perspective in operations.

- A Defence Forces Women's Network was established with the aim of increasing the participation of female personnel at all levels of the organisation.

Over the lifetime of the White Paper on Defence, a number of projects will be progressed to ensure the development and promotion of strategies that continue to support increased female participation in the Defence Forces.

The Government remains committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women throughout the Defence Forces and to the full participation by women in all aspects of Defence Forces activities.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

396. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of women members of the Defence Forces who have left in 2021, by month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54175/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The following table details the number of women members of the Permanent Defence Force who have left, by month, to the end of September 2021:

Personnel leave the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) for a number of reasons including, on age grounds, at the end of contract and on voluntary discharge. More than 50% of those who leave the Defence Forces do so with some form of pension. This can make taking up a position in the private sector very attractive where a full-time position, could lead to an increase in an individual’s earnings.

In that context, I have fully acknowledged the retention issues affecting both Officers and Enlisted Personnel. A range of actions have been taken to address these issues which includes the 15 projects undertaken to facilitate the implementation of the PSPC Report on Recruitment and Retention. Most of these projects have been completed, with others being considered in the context of wider public sector pay arrangements.

Complementing these retention measures, a number of recruitment initiatives are playing a role in countering the current staffing challenges, which include re-entry schemes for former members of the PDF.

The Deputy will be aware that as part of the terms of reference of the Independent Commission on the Defence Forces, the Commission is considering appropriate turnover and retention approaches, having regard to work undertaken to date and international best practice, to deliver the capabilities required of a modern military force. I look forward to receiving the Commission’s recommendations.

The Deputy may also be aware that I met recently with participants from the Women of Honour group and with a group of serving female members of the Defence Forces, where I had the opportunity to listen carefully to their experiences, in what were very informative meetings. In addition, participants from the Women of Honour group have met with the Secretary General and senior officials from my Department and I understand these were also productive meetings.

The Terms for an Independent Review to examine the effectiveness of the policies, systems and procedures currently in place for dealing with bullying, harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual assault in the Defence Forces, had been under consideration for several months and are being reviewed in light of these recent meetings and the views expressed. This Review will be undertaken by external and entirely independent and unbiased experts in this field and a range of stakeholders, including the Women of Honour Group and the Representative Associations have been invited recently to engage on the finalisation of those terms.

I have additionally, announced interim measures for both former and serving members of the Defence Forces who have been affected by unacceptable behaviour in the workplace. Former members of the Defence Forces, both male and female, affected by any of the issues raised, are being advised to note details of these supports.

With the support of the Chief of Staff, I remain committed to maximising recruitment and retention of both men and women to maintain the capacity of the Defence Forces to operate effectively across all roles and to undertake the tasks laid down by Government, both at home and abroad.