Army ‘lowering the bar on 5ft 2in recruits’
Review into height restrictions as vacancies continue to escalate
THE Defence Forces is reviewing the height requirement for new applicants, as the number of vacancies continues to rise.
The Irish Mail on Sunday previously reported that the Defence Forces may drop the colour blindness ban to allow those with impaired vision to join certain sections of the Army, Navy and Air Corps – much to the concern of politicians and representative factions.
Now the Defence Forces is reviewing its height policy.
Independent deputy Mick Wallace has raised the subject in the Dáil, seeking details on the number of recruits who have been discharged for not meeting minimum height requirements.
He asked Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who has ultimate responsibility for the Defence Forces, and Minister of State for Defence, Paul Kehoe, if all Defence Forces personnel will be remeasured after at least one inaccurate measurement was brought to his attention.
Mr Kehoe said: ‘There are no plans to remeasure all Defence Forces personnel.
‘The military authorities have informed me that they will conduct another review of the height standards to update, if necessary, the 2006 report,’ he said.
In 1998, the height requirement was reduced to 5ft 4in. Eight years later, it was further reduced to 5ft 2in by the then-defence minister Willie O’Dea in an effort to increase the numbers of men and women joining up.
At the time, he said the reduction would increase the ‘annual recruitment pool of females from 60% to 90% and males from 97% to 98%’.
However, the number of women applying to join – and being accepted – remains low.
Mr O’Dea told the MoS this week that he foresees no issue with scrapping the height requirement entirely – but argued that better pay and conditions are needed to bolster the strength of the Defence Forces.
Military sources told the MoS that it has always been their understanding that a minimum height was required for health and safety, due to the weight of rucksacks and other equipment.
A military spokesman said: ‘The [height] criteria are being reviewed by a board in order to determine if any adjustments are necessary based on the most up to date evidence and data collected.’
As of December 31, the strength of the Permanent Defence Forces was more than 500 personnel below its target.
In 2001, An Garda Síochána removed its specific height requirements for new recruits. In Britain, applicants for the Royal Navy must be at least 4ft 11in.
A minimum height is required for safety