Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 March 2024
34. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the reasons for increasing the maximum recruitment age for Permanent Defence Force personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13030/24]
View answer52. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence when the next recruitment drive will be run for Defence Forces under the increased age criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13249/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 52 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, I recently announced that Government had approved an increase in the mandatory retirement age in the Defence Forces to 60 years, and the maximum recruitment age for all personnel to 39 years. These changes will come into effect from 29 March 2024.
The recruitment and retention challenges experienced by the Defence Forces are well documented and Government approved these increases in an effort to remove any potential obstacles to recruiting and retaining personnel. These measures are considered key enablers in stabilising numbers in the Permanent Defence Force, which remains a challenge in the current buoyant economy, notwithstanding the range of other recruitment and retention initiatives currently being implemented, and progress in relation to pay.
In a further effort to increase the potential to attract specialist expertise in key technical positions, an increase to 50 years in the maximum age of recruitment for relevant Direct Entry Officer competitions is being progressed.
Competitions for General Service Recruitment, and certain direct entry specialists at enlisted rank, are ongoing and the age criteria for these competitions will be amended to 39 years from 29 March 2024. Other competitions affected by the age increase, such as the 2024 cadetship competition, that are due to launch after the 29 March will reflect the change to the age criteria at the time of launch.
Government has also approved a further increase the mandatory retirement age in An Garda Síochána, the Permanent Defence Force and the Irish Prison Service to 62, which will be facilitated by amendments to the relevant pension legislation to be brought forward by the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. This will facilitate further flexibility in the engagement of personnel.
