159. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Defence the total numbers in the permanent Defence Forces as of 1 June 2026; the way this compares to the end of 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42799/26]

Strengthening recruitment and retention in the Defence Forces is a key priority for me as Minister for Defence.

The Defence Forces advise as of the 30 April 2026, the latest date this figure is available for, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) stood at 7,741 personnel and represents a year on year increase of over 200 personnel on the equivalent figure recorded for April 2025. This compares with a strength figure as of the 31 December 2022 of 7,966.

It was positive to see the growth in numbers last year, with 790 inductions achieved- the highest figure in 20 years. It is also encouraging to see overall application numbers for careers in the Defence Forces continue to grow, with a total of 16,510 applications received in 2025 and more than 8,400 received to end of April 2026. The challenge now is for the Defence Forces to convert these applications to inductions.

A draft Strategic Workforce Plan prepared by the Defence Forces has recently been submitted and will be considered over the coming weeks.

Increases in application numbers and in the overall strength of the PDF, over the last three years, demonstrate that the key enabling measures which the Government has introduced to support and drive Defence Forces recruitment and retention are yielding results.

These measures include: increases in the maximum ages of recruitment and retirement respectively; the extension of private secondary healthcare to all personnel; and the application of the provisions of the Working Time Directive across the Defence Forces subject to certain exemptions. The Patrol Duty allowance payable to Naval Service personnel at sea has been doubled after ten days at sea in a calendar year while the Naval Service tax credit has been extended up to 2029. There continues to be significant progress on pay with all personnel benefiting from a pay award this month.

Underpinning these and other measures, I ensured that Budget 2026 provided a record allocation of €1.49 billion for the Defence Sector, an increase of €145 million on 2025. These funds include provision for the recruitment of a net 400 additional PDF members per annum

While recruitment and retention remains challenging, significant strides continue to be made on a number of fronts and the allocation of record levels of expenditure is illustrative of my commitment to strengthening recruitment and retention in the Permanent Defence Force.