Sorca Clarke
Question:358. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the efforts he has made to stem the exodus of personnel from the Defence Forces. [49450/22]
View answerTuesday, 11 October 2022
Questions (358)
Written answers
I have fully acknowledged the staffing issues affecting the Defence Forces. Personnel leave the Permanent Defence Force for a number of reasons including on age grounds, at the end of contract and on voluntary discharge. More than 50% of those who leave the Defence Forces do so with some form of pension which can make taking up a position in the private sector very attractive.
My focus is now on bringing the strength of the Defence Forces to the numbers required to meet the agreed level of ambition arising from the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. In addition to the recently launched "Be More" recruitment campaign, there are a number of other initiatives which are presently being implemented to counter current staffing challenges including:
- Commitment schemes in the Air Corps and Naval Service
- A special tax credit for seagoing Naval Service personnel
- A re-entry scheme for former personnel
- Ongoing recruitment, including direct entry competitions
- The ongoing review of the scope, and terms and conditions, of direct entry competitions to improve intakes
- Significant progress on pay within the Defence Forces arising from increases from recent pay agreements
The capacity of the Defence Forces to undertake the tasks assigned by Government continues to be carefully monitored to ensure that they retain their ability to operate effectively across all roles and to undertake the tasks laid down by Government, both at home and abroad.