Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 October 2019
118. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 125 of 26 March 2019, the remit of the working group; the membership of the group; the number of times the working group has met in each quarter since its establishment; when the group will report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39335/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Working Group on Direct Entry was established to consider issues and make recommendations relating to Direct Entry as a method of recruitment for specialist posts at enlisted and officer ranks. The membership is composed of a mix of military and civil personnel drawn from appropriate branches overseeing recruitment and workforce planning policy.
The Working Group has met twice since its inception and is in the process of establishing and examining the current entry requirements, aptitudes and training overheads in a number of specialist posts to facilitate the identification of appropriate comparators in the commercial sector. Reports will be made once consideration of individual specialties is complete.
More recently I have established a Review Group to review recruitment methods in the Defence Forces which will now also incorporate the relevant recommendations of the Public Service Pay Commission report. One of the terms of reference of this Group is to specifically look at the wider use of open recruitment for the majority of specialised roles in the Defence Forces. The work of this Review Group will inform and complement the work of the Working Group on Direct Entry.
