Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 December 2016
695. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the extent to which young unemployed persons have been able to join the Defence Forces; if a specific programme exists in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40154/16]
View answerThere is no specific recruitment campaign aimed at young unemployed persons. Applications to join the Defence Forces are open to all persons who fulfil certain criteria. The criteria that apply to all applicants for General Service Recruitment Competitions require that they must undergo psychometric tests, a fitness test, a competency based interview, a medical examination and undergo Security Clearance. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and under 25 years of age on the closing date of applications for the Army, and must be at least 18 years of age and under 27 years of age on the closing date of applications for the Naval Service.
No formal education qualifications are required to join the Defence Forces as a recruit. However, applicants must satisfy the Interview Board and the Recruiting Officer that they possess a sufficient standard of education for service in the Permanent Defence Force.
Recruitment to the Army and Naval Service is ongoing from a General Service Recruitment competition which was launched in April 2016. Cadetships competitions are normally held on an annual basis.
In line with the Government’s commitment to a strengthened approach across the economy to social responsibility, the Programme for Partnership Government and the White Paper on Defence included a commitment to introduce a pilot Defence Forces employment support scheme with the direct involvement of the Defence Forces. The pilot scheme successfully ran from Monday 20 June 2016 to Friday 26 August 2016 in Gormanston Camp, with 25 participants.
The objective of the scheme is to help develop a path to economic independence for participants, aged between 18 and 24 years, who are at a serious disadvantage owing to their current socio-economic situation. It encompassed an innovative training programme of 10 weeks duration, consisting of 5 weeks of training by the Defence Forces interspersed with 5 weeks of education-orientated training by the Baldoyle Training Centre of the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board. The scheme provided participants with new skills, knowledge, competencies and self-development that have enhanced their capacity to pursue employment, work experience or further educational opportunities. An evaluation of the pilot scheme has recently been completed and I expect to receive a report on this shortly. When I have considered the report I will make a final decision on the roll-out of the Scheme, however it is expected that up to two programmes could be run in 2017.
For the duration of the programme participants were in close contact with a military environment. Although this should help them become more familiar with what it is like to be a soldier and also help them to decide whether they might like to be one, it should be noted there is not a direct route from this programme into the Defence Forces. Those who would like to join the Defence Forces would have to apply through the normal recruitment competitions but I would expect that their exposure to a military environment together with the skills they will attain through participation in the scheme and the improvement in their standard of physical fitness should be an advantage to them.
