The information requested by the Deputy has been provided by the military authorities and is set out in the following table:
Category
|
Number of female personnel
|
Pilots
|
0
|
Pilots in Training
|
1
|
Air traffic controllers
|
2
|
Trainee air traffic controllers
|
0
|
The Government remains committed to maximising recruitment capacity in order to return to, and maintain, the agreed strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel.
In this context, applications for the following Air Corps specific recruitment campaigns are currently being progressed. In addition, a range of alternative recruitment approaches are being developed, aimed at addressing vacancies in specialist areas.
The recent report of the Public Service Pay Commission on recruitment and retention in the Defence Forces made recommendations that will impact on the Air Corps, for example the restoration of the Service Commitment Scheme for pilots and the review of technical pay arrangements have been prioritised for immediate action in the associated implementation plan.