Ivor Callely
Question:80 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Defence the average age of personnel in the armed forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18317/97]
Written Answers - Defence Forces Age Profile.
The current average age of enlisted personnel in the Permanent Defence Force is 34.50 years. The overall average age for all ranks is 34.9 years.
One of the more serious problems facing the Defence Forces which was identified by the efficiency audit review group and their consultants, Price Waterhouse, was the high age profile of the members of the Defence Forces. A voluntary early retirement scheme was introduced in 1996 and this, with a reduction in the upper age limit for recruits, is a first step towards addressing the age profile problem.