Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 November 2018
61. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the target date for the Permanent Defence Force to reach its approved strength of 9,500; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48531/18]
View answerI ask the Minister of State at the Department of Defence the target date for the Permanent Defence Force to reach its approved strength of 9,500 and if he will make a statement on the matter. Despite the Government's White Paper which outlines a target strength of 9,500 personnel, the numbers in the Defence Forces have been at an historical low. They have dropped to below 9,000 and will continue to drop.
The Deputy has posed his question.
I reinforce the point I made about the mandarins in the Minister of State's Department. A new position, that of assistant secretary to deal with staff, has been created. The Minister of State is beefing up internal bureaucracy, while the numbers in the Defence Forces are falling year on year. He needs to address that matter.
The Government remains committed to achieving the strength target of at least 9,500 personnel for the Permanent Defence Force, as set out in the 2015 White Paper on Defence. There are a number of factors, some of which are hard to predict, which will impact on the timeframe within which this will be achieved.
Recruitment has continued in 2018, with the running of two general service recruit competitions, a cadet competition, apprentice competitions, an instrumentalist competition and direct entry streams. They have resulted in more than 600 personnel being inducted to date in 2018. The most recent figures, provided by the military authorities, give the whole-time equivalent strength of the Permanent Defence Force as just below 9,000 personnel. Further inductions are scheduled in November and final figures for the numbers inducted in 2018 and strength will not be available until the end of the year. Progress in recruitment will be reviewed in the coming weeks and inform future plans.
As I have outlined previously, there are particular challenges in recruiting and retaining certain specialists such as pilots, air traffic controllers and certain technicians. These specialists can prove difficult to retain where, as in current economic circumstances, there are ongoing lucrative private and commercial public sector job opportunities. I understand the retention of such specialists has proved challenging for many military forces internationally and is not unique to Ireland. A range of alternative recruitment approaches are being developed, aimed at addressing vacancies in specialist areas. My Department has introduced a scheme which permits former officers with specialist skills to re-enter the Permanent Defence Force and arrangements are in train to provide a similar scheme for former enlisted personnel. Currently, there is direct entry provision for those with professional qualifications which is utilised in the recruitment of medical officers and engineers. A working group is examining the scope for greater use of such direct entry recruitment to fill certain specialist positions.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Public Service Pay Commission has been tasked with examining recruitment and retention issues in the defence sector and requested material has been forwarded to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. When the Public Service Pay Commissions reports, its findings will be considered.
The Permanent Defence Force continues to offer excellent career opportunities for serving personnel and new entrants. Ensuring the terms and conditions of serving members of the Permanent Defence Force are fair and balanced is also a key consideration.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
There are a range of actions outlined in the 2015 White Paper on Defence which are aimed at advancing this goal. The criteria for extending service beyond 12 years have been revised and an examination of contracts for enlisted personnel has been prioritised. A gap analysis of skill sets in the Permanent Defence Force has also been brought forward. In addition, the military authorities have introduced further initiatives to enhance work-life balance, which is also to be welcomed.
The Government is committed to retaining the capacity of the Defence Forces to operate effectively across all roles and undertake the tasks laid down by it, both at home and overseas.
The Minister of State mentioned the Public Service Pay Commission. We know that last week the Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Mellett, had to offer his perspective and unique insight because all of the recommendations he had made to the Minister of State and his Department had been completely ignored in the Minister of State's submission, which represents a complete failure of the Government. The Public Service Pay Commission potentially may come back next year with recommendations that will not address the serious issues in recruitment and retention. As of this year, 30% of recruits who left purchased their discharge. That represents a doubling of the practice in two years. There has been a massive exodus from the Defence Forces. In addition, the Minister of State did not clarify when the target strength set out in the White Paper would be reached. It was set by Deputy Coveney when he was the Minister. Under the Minister of State's leadership and during his tenure the numbers are moving in only one direction - away from the target strength - because of the Government's failure to address recruitment and retention policies.
The loss of expertise and experience in the Defence Forces is also an issue and it is not possible to address it by way of recruitment. Personnel are leaving the Defence Forces year on year and their experience which cannot be replaced is being lost to the organisation. Even the recruits who are entering the Defence Forces are purchasing their way out under the Minister of State's leadership. It is pity that he ignored all of the recommendations made by the Chief of Staff and that he has had to make such public pleas.
I have full confidence in the Public Service Pay Commission, to which I understand the Deputy's party signed up in the confidence and supply arrangement. Presumably, he is on the same page in the sense that he would not go against-----
Why did the Minister of State not make recommendations?
Please allow the Minister of State to continue.
The reason there were no recommendations was the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform came back to us to state it did not want recommendations.
The Minister of State made recommendations for the Air Corps.
Yes. It came back to us directly because there was too much in the public domain. A document was put into the public domain and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform stated it did not want recommendations to be made, that it wanted hard data. That is exactly what it got in the joint submission, namely, the data analysis it had sought. I am delighted that both the Department and the military came up with a joint submission. The Chief of Staff described the submission to the Public Service Pay Commission as being very robust. I look forward to the commission reporting back in due course. The Government can then consider its findings.
The Minister of State mentioned hard data. I will give him some hard facts. Sixty-six members of the Naval Service are sleeping on Naval Service vessels while onshore because they cannot afford to rent a home. They are the bare facts and data. Recommendations were made by the Chief of Staff to shine a light on issues in the organisation, but they were dropped by the mandarins in the Minister of State's Department. "Mandarins" is an appropriate word to use, but it can be replaced with bureaucracy. The Minister of State will not shut me down or tell me what is in the confidence and supply arrangement. He contradicted his previous statement when he said no recommendations had been made when, under his leadership, he made recommendations for pilots in the Air Corps. His policy is completely contradictory. He allowed recommendations to be made in one instance and then ignored recommendations made by the Chief of staff's office. That is a complete contradiction. I will define what is in the confidence and supply arrangement and will not have the Minister of State or the Government tell me what it is. Fianna Fáil is clear that we are absolutely committed to the Defence Forces and dealing with the pay and conditions of personnel and retention issues. During the Minister of State's tenure in the Department the numbers are moving in one direction - away from the target strength of 9,500 as outlined in the White Paper. He even failed to indicate when he would achieve that target.
That is very interesting because in the Fianna Fáil pre-budget submission neither the Defence Forces nor the Department of Defence was even mentioned. That shows the Deputy's commitment to the-----
That is not true.
It is true.
It is not.
It is. I saw the document.
What is the Minister of State talking about?
The Deputy's party signed up to the confidence and supply arrangement which deals with public sector pay. Presumably, the Deputy has signed up to what is set out in it on public sector pay.
The Minister of State should deal with the recommendations made.
The Deputy's party is part of that arrangement. I want us to get to the full establishment figure of 9,500 personnel as soon as possible, but, unfortunately-----
Are we looking at a period of 20 years?
I do not believe it will take 20 years, but I will not put a timeframe on it.
That is very worrying.
It is a priority for me to make sure we reach the full establishment figure of 9,500 as soon as possible. I am working with my military colleagues to make sure we will get to that number. The Government has provided the financial resources for Defence Forces management to reach the full establishment figure of 9,500 personnel. It has my full support in that regard. I have stated on numerous occasions that we will broaden recruitment capacity. We are in discussions on expanding capacity at Gormanston and considering providing additional instructors.
I have given Defence Forces management full support in terms of whatever is required to get to the full establishment of 9,500 personnel.
