Defence Forces: Recruitment and Retention

Full Transcript:

Marc Ó Cathasaigh

This issue has already been teased out in the discussion this morning. There is a well-acknowledged issue around recruitment and, in particular, retention in our Defence Forces. I ask about the progress made on fulfilling the Government commitment to increase recruitment in the Defence Forces by 2028.

Deputy Simon Coveney

I thank the Deputy. The report of the commission on the Defence Forces made it clear that the level of ambition, LOA, for the Defence Forces needed to be elevated beyond that at which it is operating. In that context, the Government approved a move over a six-year period to a level of Defence Forces capability equivalent to LOA 2 in the report. This will require an additional 2,000 personnel beyond the current establishment figure of 9,500. Because we are well below 9,500 now, the figure is slightly above 3,000, rather than 2,000, to get to where we need to be by the end of 2028.

The Defence Forces are developing strategies to increase recruitment and address the current shortfall in numbers. The target is to realise a Defence Forces strength of 11,500 by 2028, incorporating an appropriate civilian component. A joint civil-military implementation management office has been established to support the implementation of the overall transformation programme required to implement the recommendations of the report of the commission on the Defence Forces. A number of early actions arising from recommendations in the report are also being progressed.

A number of initiatives are under way to counter existing staffing challenges. General service and direct entry recruitment is ongoing and has resulted in 358 inductions as of 31 October this year, with further inductions due to take place before the end of the year. A separate recruitment competition has been launched specifically for Air Corps recruits, who in the past were drawn from a wider general service recruitment pool.

The re-entry schemes for former personnel have boosted specialist numbers. The terms and conditions and scope of direct entry competitions remain under consideration as does the maximum recruitment age for all competitions. The Be More recruitment campaign, launched this year, highlights the career opportunities available in the Defence Forces and the wider benefits of membership in line with a recommendation of the commission on the Defence Forces that these be made known.

Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh

I thank the Minister. One of the central challenges, which is well understood and which Deputy Berry talked about, concerns medical officers. We are in an economy close to full employment and there are working terms and conditions elsewhere, such as being able to go home at 5 p.m., which make the Defence Forces less attractive.

The Minister rightly acknowledged that the numbers have changed and travel is in the wrong direction. My numbers have it that we are at 8,100 personnel in the Defence Forces, the lowest in 15 years. While we are recruiting a total intake of 150, we have lost 375. By losing those people, we lose the skills and experience they have acquired over the years. Serious work is needed to turn that ship around.

Deputy Simon Coveney

I am more than aware of that but before starting to build numbers, you have to stop the losses. We are at that moment of changing momentum, I hope. We have an enormous financial commitment from Government and a policy framework to do that. We also have a plan of action linked to an independent report put together over a 12-month period.

Since I have come into politics, there has never been a stronger focus and priority on trying to build, grow, expand and invest in increasing the size of the Defence Forces. We are at the end of a period of reduction and losses. We need to consider what we have decided in recent months on pay and conditions for instance. Someone joining the Defence Forces now will be paid €5,000 more than someone who joined six months ago. Those decisions were made at budget time by the Government. A range of things are happening, including pay, conditions, culture, equipment, accommodation and medical provision. The overall package is improving significantly.

Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh

I acknowledge that much of that increased commitment and focus is down to the Minister’s genuine interest in this area. I know he has a genuine interest in the Naval Service in particular. We have never seen the need for us to control our own waters more clearly demonstrated. I am thinking currently but am also looking ahead. There will be increased activity as we develop our offshore resources, particularly our energy resources. We will see increased connectivity in energy. Our gas connectors are obviously critical as are information systems. We need to be able to patrol those waters as we begin to develop that. Ireland will become important internationally and across Europe as we build superconnectors and try to unlock that renewable energy resource. It all speaks to the need to continue the work to which the Minister is genuinely committed. We need to travel in the right direction.

Deputy Simon Coveney

I live a few miles from the naval base and know it well. I go walking and running there fairly regularly. Nobody is more focused than I am on getting our Naval Service back up to the strength it should be at. We are about 275 people below where we should be, which is impacting on our ability to crew vessels. We have just decommissioned three ships, not because we could not crew them despite some of the commentary but because they are old and needed to be moved on. At the start of next year, we will bring in two ships from New Zealand. They require smaller crews and are much more modern vessels. Let us not deny that the Naval Service has a big challenge with recruitment and retention to get to where want to be so that we can ensure that the Naval Service can do what we are asking of it, not only in fisheries patrols, drug interdiction and the other sovereignty and security issues, but also some of the new infrastructure it will need to protect when it is built. I assure the Deputy that there is an absolute focus on getting the Naval Service back to where it needs to be.