Vol. 540 No. 3
93 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Defence if he has reviewed the height requirements for members of the Defence Forces and in particular for members of the Naval Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20724/01]
The current minimum height requirements for entry into the Defence Forces, including the Naval Service, is 165 cm – 5 ft. 5 ins – for males and 162.5 cm – 5 ft. 4 ins – for females. To encourage an increased participation by women in the Defence Forces the height requirement is set in light of the natural height differential between males and females.
A review of entry requirements to the Defence Forces, including height requirements, is currently being undertaken by the Chief of Staff. The report and recommendations of this review are expected towards the latter part of this year.
