David Stanton
Question:33. Deputy David Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will provide an update on recent recruitment to the Naval Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21968/24]
View answerThursday, 16 May 2024
Questions (33)
Written answers
The military authorities have advised that the strength of the Naval Service stood at 722 personnel as at 31 March 2024. As of the same date, 356 applications were received and there were 31 inductions.
I have previously acknowledged the recruitment and retention challenges in the Naval Service and I continue to be committed to maximising recruitment capacity and introducing measures to stabilise numbers. An allocation of €1.23 billion for the Defence Sector in Budget 2024, which includes a provision for the recruitment and training of at least a net additional 400 enlisted personnel in 2024, will assist in this regard.
Current recruitment campaigns include ongoing general service recruitment, re-entry schemes, 8 Naval Service specific direct entry competitions and three Naval Service cadetship competitions which remain open until 19 May.
As part of a Naval Service specific recruitment campaign, a Naval Service recruitment advertisement launched in 2023 and continues in 2024.
My Department engaged an external company in 2023 to validate and assess the Defence Forces current recruitment methods, focusing on the Naval Service. A marine recruitment specialist company has been contracted to target individuals with the skills required by the Naval Service.
In an effort to remove potential obstacles to recruitment, the maximum recruitment age was increased recently to 39 for those roles that had a recruitment age below that, and to 50 for Direct Entry Officer specialists.
In addition a number of financial and non-financial retention initiatives are being implemented. These include an increase in the mandatory retirement age to 60, with a further increase to 62 anticipated, the doubling of the Naval Service Patrol Duty allowance, and the extension of the provision of private secondary healthcare to all members of the PDF, in addition to significant progress on pay.
Question No. 34 answered with Question No. 10.