Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
800. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Defence the number of officers that have been appointed to the Naval Service in each of the years 2020 and 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44049/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following table details the number of officers that have been appointed to the Naval Service in each of the years 2020 and 2021 and to date in 2022 as of the 31 July 2022:
|
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022* |
|
Total Number of Officers |
9 |
8 |
1 |
* As of 31 July 2022
Acknowledged recruitment and retention difficulties in the Naval Service are being addressed through a number of measures.
In 2021 I approved a comprehensive Naval Service Regeneration plan which is being progressed and monitored by a high-level civil/military team. The aim of the plan is to address the issues facing the Naval Service in the context of Human Resources, Operational Capacity, and Infrastructure. A number of the staffing measures in the plan have been implemented.
General service and direct entry recruitment is ongoing. Other measures such as the seagoing service commitment scheme, the revision of terms and conditions and starting pay for certain specialists, and a tax credit for seagoing Naval Service personnel are further example of targeted retention initiatives.
Furthermore, in accordance with one of the recommendations in the Commission on the Defence Forces report, a review has commenced of existing seagoing allowances to consider their replacement with less complex seagoing duty measures.
I remain committed to maximising recruitment capacity and introducing measures to enhance retention in the Naval Service and the Defence Forces as a whole.
