More join up… but exodus continues

Some 702 personnel were recruited to the Defence Forces this year – an increase from the 416 inducted in 2015, and 690 in 2016.

However, 655 personnel also left last year.

of the current personnel numbers, just 6% are women – a figure the Defence Forces has attempted to bolster for years.

It is now targeting ‘female websites’ as part of its recruitment campaigns and conducting visits to girls’ schools in an attempt to promote a career in the Defence Forces.

The reserve Defence Forces has suffered an even greater crisis in numbers – as there are just 1,865 personnel recruited to fill the established level of 4,069.