Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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29. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the total enlistment in the permanent Defence Forces from 2019 to 2024; the measures that will be implemented this year to increase recruitment and improve retention of personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6101/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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A table containing requested induction figures, as provided by the military authorities for each year from 2019 to 2024, will be provided to the Deputy.

I am advised that a total of 708 personnel were inducted into the Permanent Defence Force in 2024. The induction figure for last year compares very favourably with previous induction figures of 415 in 2023 and 435 in 2022 and, in fact, represents the highest number of inductions since 2017.

Further encouraging trends may be gleaned from the discharges figure for last year of 674. This is 81 fewer than the previous year and the lowest in four years. Overall, these figures suggest a plateauing in the downward trend in numbers; however much remains to be done.

We have previously acknowledged the recruitment and retention challenges in the PDF. To address these, a range of measures have been introduced. The maximum age of recruitment has increased to 39 years for those roles that had a recruitment age below that, and to 50 years for Direct Entry Specialists. The mandatory retirement age has been increased to 62. Private secondary healthcare has been rolled out to all PDF members. The Patrol Duty allowance payable to Naval Service personnel at sea has been doubled after ten days at sea in a calendar year and the Naval Service tax credit has been extended for a further five years.

There has also been significant progress on pay in recent years. Recruits on completion of training now start at €40,297 in Year 1, while school leaver Cadets upon commissioning earn €44,216, whilst in full time education. Further increases under the terms of the current pay Agreement 2024-2026 totalling 3% are due to be applied over the course of this year.

It should be noted that interest in a career in the Defence Forces grew significantly during 2024 with a total of 13,384 applications received across all competitions- an increase of 33% on the previous year.

Budget 2025 provided a record allocation of €1.35 billion for the Defence Sector, an increase of €100 million. In relation to specific recruitment targets, this allocation provides for the recruitment of at least a net additional 400 personnel per annum.

Whilst there are still undoubtedly challenges, significant progress has been made on a number of fronts and the allocation of record levels of expenditure to the Defence sector is illustrative of my intent in this regard.

The number of inductions to the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) for each year, 2019 to 2024