Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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91. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence to provide an update on when there will be an extension of service for sergeants with post-1994 contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42242/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Military life places unique demands on individuals and it is necessary that Defence Forces personnel are prepared to meet the challenges of all military operations. For this reason compulsory retirement ages for ranks in the Permanent Defence Force are considerably lower than in other employments.

A joint civil/military review of mandatory retirement ages and service limits in the Permanent Defence Force was completed in 2021. The Report of the Review Group made a number of recommendations for extended service limits across a number of ranks in the Defence Forces.

Members of the Permanent Defence Force have superannuation arrangements which allows them to accrue pension benefits over an accelerated shorter timeframe to compensate for the fact that they have to retire at a relatively early age. Any proposals to amend the service limits or retirement ages of members of the Defence Forces must therefore be in accordance with public sector pay and pension policy and requires the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

The Department for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform established an Inter-Departmental Working Group to consider mandatory retirement ages and service limits for public service groups who have 'fast accrual' occupational pension arrangements. The recommendations from the joint civil/military review of mandatory retirement ages in the Permanent Defence Force are being considered as part of the work of this group.

Pending the outcome of the work of the Interdepartmental Group, an interim arrangement has been secured which allows for the continuance in service, to the end of 2024, of Privates, Corporals and Sergeants who were recruited to the Permanent Defence Force on or after 1 January 1994, who were due to be retired on age grounds at age 50 prior to that date.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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92. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence when he expects to have the staffing capacity to have more than one naval vessel at sea; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42591/23]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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93. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the plans he has to strengthen the Irish Naval Service and Air Corps so that they can properly patrol Irish waters in relation to intercepting drug consignments being transported through our waters, enforcing fishery laws as well as assisting in search and rescue missions off our coast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42549/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 93 together.

Staffing difficulties in the Defence Forces and, in particular in the Naval Service, have been acknowledged. There are specific challenges in the recruitment and retention of specialists as there are competing demands from other sectors. This is particularly evident in the Naval Service where the skills developed by the highly trained personnel are in very high demand in a buoyant employment market.

Notwithstanding this, the Naval Service, which is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles assigned by Government, continues to fulfil these roles. These include fishery protection in accordance with our obligations as a member of the EU, and a range of other tasks including contraband interdiction duties, search and rescue, and maritime defence and security operations. This activity is augmented by the Air Corps Maritime Patrol Squadron) using the two CASA CN 235 maritime patrol aircraft, equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance and communication equipment.

My officials and their Defence Forces colleagues also continue to engage with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications in relation to the protection of Ireland’s offshore infrastructure. This undertaking also requires international cooperation, shared responsibilities, and mutual trust. To this end, Ireland is engaged in three PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation) projects, which aim to identify gaps in capabilities, and develop a technological solution for the protection of undersea infrastructure, sea lines of communication and harbour protection.

I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the excellent work of the Joint Task Force last week in the successful detention of the cargo vessel MV MATTHEW. Working with the Revenue Customs Service and An Garda Síochána, who have overall responsibility for the prevention of drug trafficking and crime, the Defence Forces, across the three services demonstrated their unique skills and professionalism in providing key roles to successfully deliver this operation.

To counter staffing challenges in the Defence Forces, a range of measures continue to be implemented including ongoing General Service and Direct entry specialist recruitment. Specific targeted initiatives for the Air Corps have seen a dedicated General Service recruitment initiative, and more recently a Trainee Military Aircraft Systems Technician competition.

The Naval Service, in an effort to maximise the recruit pool, has paused psychometric testing for Naval Service General Service recruitment pilot basis for 6 months with an analysis of the revised approach to follow. A specific Naval Service recruitment campaign is in train, and a contract has recently been awarded to a marine specialist recruitment body to target individuals with the skills and expertise required by the Naval Service. A specialist external company has recently been engaged to validate and assess the Defence Forces current recruitment process and to identify possible opportunities for improvement of the current Defence Forces process. Initial focus will be on the Naval Service.

Government has also introduced a range of financial and non-financial retention measures such as service commitment schemes in the Air Corps and the Naval Service, tax measures, the extension of private secondary medical care to all Defence Forces personnel, and significant progress on pay, which compares favourably with other areas in the Public Service.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 31 August 2023 stood at 7,671 personnel, with 775 in the Naval Service. The establishment of the Defence Forces was recently increased to 9,589. This increase is intended to expedite implementation of the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, through the creation of 89 additional promotional opportunities.

Current recruitment initiatives include ongoing general service and direct entry recruitment, the re-entry schemes, and the 'Be More' recruitment campaign.

A Joint Induction Training Centre has been established in Gormanston, with a view to increasing the throughput of recruits destined for all branches of the Defence Forces, and the training syllabus for these recruits has been refined.

The maximum age of entry has been increased to 29 years for General Service recruits, Cadets, apprentices, and certain specialists. Fitness test scoring has also been amended to maximise induction levels.

External human resources expertise has recently been engaged. This will assess Defence Forces recruitment and the candidate’s recruitment journey, with a view to validation of current processes and appropriate recommendations, where required. The initial focus will be on the Naval Service.

To address specific challenges in the Naval Service, and in an effort to maximise the recruit pool, psychometric testing for Naval Service General Service recruitment has been paused on a pilot basis for 6 months with an analysis of the revised approach to take place at this point. A specific Naval Service recruitment campaign is in train, and a contract has recently been awarded to a marine specialist recruitment body to target individuals with the skills and expertise required by the Naval Service.

Government has also acknowledged ongoing staffing challenges in the Defence Forces and has introduced a range of financial and non-financial retention measures such as service commitment schemes in the Air Corps and the Naval Service, tax measures, private medical care, and significant progress on pay, which compares favourably with other areas in the Public Service.

My immediate focus is on stabilising the numbers of personnel, and to facilitate capacity for further increases. This will enable us to align ultimately with the level of ambition recommended in the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, and agreed by Government.

Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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95. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the measures that the Government is implementing to attract new recruits to the Air Corps, ensuring a skilled and motivated workforce for our defence needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42600/23]

Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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121. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the measures the Government is implementing to attract new recruits to the Naval Service, ensuring a skilled and motivated workforce for our defence needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42601/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 121 together.

The strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 31 August 2023 stood at 7,671 personnel, with 775 personnel in the Naval Service and 695 personnel in the Air Corps. The establishment of the Defence Forces was recently increased to 9,589. This increase is intended to expedite implementation of the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, through the creation of 89 additional promotional opportunities.

Current recruitment initiatives include ongoing general service and direct entry recruitment, the re-entry schemes, and the 'Be More' recruitment campaign.

A Joint Induction Training Centre has been established in Gormanston, with a view to increasing the throughput of recruits destined for all branches of the Defence Forces, and the training syllabus for these recruits has been refined.

The maximum age of entry has been increased to 29 years for General Service recruits, Cadets, apprentices, and certain specialists. Fitness test scoring has also been amended to maximise induction levels.

External human resources expertise has recently been engaged. This will assess Defence Forces recruitment and the candidate’s recruitment journey, with a view to validation of current processes and appropriate recommendations, where required. The initial focus will be on the Naval Service.

To address specific challenges in the Naval Service, and in an effort to maximise the recruit pool, psychometric testing for Naval Service General Service recruitment has been paused on a pilot basis for 6 months with an analysis of the revised approach to take place at this point. A specific Naval Service recruitment campaign is in train, and a contract has recently been awarded to a marine specialist recruitment body to target individuals with the skills and expertise required by the Naval Service.

Government has acknowledged ongoing staffing challenges in the Defence Forces and has introduced a range of financial and non-financial retention measures such as service commitment schemes in the Air Corps and the Naval Service, tax measures, private medical care, and significant progress on pay, which compares favourably with other areas in the Public Service.

My immediate focus is on stabilising the numbers of personnel, and to facilitate capacity for further increases. This will enable us to align ultimately with the level of ambition recommended in the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, and agreed by Government.