Duncan Smith
Question:
163. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the number of discharges being processed and-or pending from the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30698/20]
View answer
I am informed by the military authorities that it was not possible to collate the required information within the timeframe available. I shall provide the information to the Deputy once it becomes available.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51
I refer to the above-referenced Parliamentary Question and my original reply stating that it was not possible to provide the required information within the timeframe available. I am now in a position to do so. As at 30th September 2020, a total of 433 Permanent Defence Force (PDF) personnel were discharged - 331
Army, 32 Air Corps and 70 Naval Service. On 9th October 2020, 20 Army personnel, 19 Air Corp personnel and 10 Naval Service personnel were pending discharge.
In 2020, a total of 636 PDF personnel were discharged which included 190 personnel who exited prior to completion of their initial training. The total discharges comprised of 488 Army personnel, 48 Air Corps personnel and 100 Naval Service personnel. Within the PDF, the term 'discharges' encompasses personnel who left for a variety of reasons including on age grounds, at end of contract and voluntary discharges.
The Government remains committed to returning to, and maintaining the agreed strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel as set out in the White Paper on Defence (2015).
Recruitment and retention issues in the Defence Forces have been acknowledged. To address these a range of initiatives, such as re-commissioning and re-enlistment of former personnel saw an inflow of PDF experience across 2020. While Covid 19 impacted on the numbers inducted in 2020, inductions and training were resumed during the year taking public health guidelines into account.
The PSPC report on recruitment and retention in the Defence Forces made a range of recommendations with a view to addressing recruitment and retention issues and these have been progressed through a series of projects. In addition, the independent Commission on the Defence Forces is tasked with examining a range of issues, including recruitment and retention.
