Brendan Smith urges 850 inductions target for 2026 Defence Forces

Minister, as you are well aware, the Commission on the Defence Forces was a very important strategy of 2022, and the subsequent implementation plan outlined a series of measures that need to be taken to strengthen our defence forces. And one of the key issues in that was the whole area of recruitment and retention of personnel. I welcome the progress that has been made, but I'm sure you're the first to admit yourself that it's slower than any of us want. So I'd like to hear if there are any particular measures that you can introduce in 2026, both to improve recruitment and also retention. Thank you, Aghae Heardy. Thank you, Deputy. Increasing recruitment and retention of personnel in the Defence Forces is a priority for me as Minister, and I think it's a priority for everybody here that's spoken this evening. As a Government, we're committed to putting resources in place to achieve that level of ambition too, and a crucial element of this is the personal expansion. A range of measures have been undertaken already to tackle recruitment and retention challenges over the last number of years, and as a result of that we have seen that stabilisation that I've mentioned, and that modest increase as well last year of 200. I want to continue in that trajectory, so the 7,756 personnel I mentioned, I want to see that increase further, and so I have set a target of 850 inductions for 2026, and obviously that will mean making sure that we have the accommodation as well to be able to support those numbers. It's very positive to see that interest in a career in the Defence Forces continues to grow. A total of 16,510 applications were received just last year, which is quite a significant number. The challenge now for the Defence Forces is to convert those applications into inductions. The Defence Forces are currently formulating the Strategic Workforce Plan to set out a current personnel and skill set and to map out proposals to achieve that strength of 11,500, to include a detailed civilian workforce plan, which is essential if we're going to reach those numbers, as was proposed in the Commission on the Defence Forces report by April of 26 this year, or in and around April. One of the key actions I specified in the recently published Strategic Framework was the need for the Defence Forces to submit a civilianisation strategy for my approval no later than July this year. This will identify the different roles and the approach to significantly increase the scale and numbers of civilians working within our Defence Forces to support our Defence Forces personnel carrying out military tasks. I think it's really important as well when we talk about increasing our numbers that we do focus in on the fact that we have quite a low percentage of female members of our Defence Forces. There will be specific targeted campaigns to not just highlight the fact that this is a career and an opportunity for women, but we also have to show that many of the really challenging issues that have arisen in the recent past and that are still ongoing, whether it's cultural issues, whether it's sexual assault that's taken place, that we are responding, that we are responding decisively and that we are acting on this. And so the cultural change that's taking place at the moment, that's been driven by a body that's shared by Patricia King and many others, I'm committed to working with them and making sure that people know when they come into the Defence Forces that these issues are being addressed, that they've been taken seriously and that every person knows that they have a place and that they will be respected when they come to work every day. Thanks Minister. Deputy Smith. Thank you Minister for a reply. Minister, again it's important that we recognise that there has been stabilisation in the whole defence numbers and also a welcome increase as well. Success recent programmes for Government gave a welcome commitment to build on improvements in the recruitment process and also as you rightly refer to better representation of women at all levels of the Defence Forces. Are there any particular measures being, additional measures being proposed this year to implement those commitments? Minister, back some years ago there was a ludicrous position where people had to leave after 20 years. The age limit as well, are there any particular considerations being given to change the age limit in regard to retirement? I know from when we had a very heavy army presence in the Cavan Monaghan area with two barracks, that many young people unfortunately, relatively young people, had to leave the army because they reached a certain age. Thank you. I suppose really there are a number of things happening that we need to see continue to encourage more and to enhance greater uptake when it comes to those who wish to join the Defence Forces. I've said the numbers actually wishing to join are pretty substantial but it's translating then and then. And so my focus this year is making sure that we have the accommodation that we need for training and that those in our Defence Forces that are carrying out the training that we have enough personnel to do that. There were changes made recently to provide allowances in that regard so it's really important where changes have been made but where there's more needs to be done that that's my focus this year in supporting the Defence Forces and I do want to acknowledge that there is an ambition there within the Defence Forces to reach these targets and to go beyond that because we really all want to be ambitious in this regard as I said in terms of female participation there will be targeted campaigns there will be a particular focus on how we can encourage more women into the Defence Forces but also how we can make sure that they're reflective of the entire community that we now live in that they're reflective of new communities that have come to Ireland as well and that we see those in our Defence Forces as we see in our own communities as well. So there are a number of actions that have already been taken in terms of the increase in recruitment but the retirement age as well and I think the anecdotal evidence is that we're starting to see that having an impact and we're starting to see that helping when it comes to recruitment and retention but I think anything that's changed as recently as it has it's going to take time to see the overall impact of those retirement age changes. Thank you Minister and I very much welcome your emphasis on a greater increase in diversity within the Defence Forces. Minister, my constituency colleague Senator Jeremy Wilson as a member of the Defence and Security Committee attended the event in Renmore Barracks last week and I have to say a number of people referred to that particular event to me over the weekend at clinics and at other gatherings I was at and it just shows the interest that there is among the general public in the well-being of our Defence Forces and it was very good to see those people the the chaplain and his colleagues being honoured in view of the very serious incident that they faced and it's important I think that that good message that that that that that the state looks after its members as well and it cares for those people who have been who have faced particular challenges and who showed great bravery that that's put out in the public domain very significantly and that was a good event and great credit is due to the Army and the Department of Defence in organising this event because people should be honoured when they go beyond the call of duty and and take on specific challenges. Thank you. Minister to conclude. Thank you Deputy. Maybe just you've given me an opportunity maybe to again just acknowledge Father Paul Murphy but also to acknowledge his four colleagues who came to his aid so bravely unarmed in responding to what was a vicious and quite a violent attack. Last week I had the honour of presenting them with the Chief of Staff and with Defence Forces the Distinguished Service Medals and this is something that is not giving out to everybody but this recognised their bravery but I think more broadly recognises the way in which members of our Defence Forces go about their work and put themselves at risk and in danger in the protection of our state and in the protection of those who they serve each and every one of us so it's really important to have these ceremonies to recognise when Defence Force members carry out these acts of bravery but also to recognise those who support them as well so it was as you say a really positive day not just for those but for their family members and I think for the whole barracks as well because this is something that was celebrated more widely thank you