Figures show the current female membership is 7.1pc, with numbers joining each year declining slightly
The Commission into the Defence Forces was established by Defence Minister Simon Coveney in late 2020.
The Defence Forces have described a target of 35pc overall female participation within the organisation as “ambitious”.
The target was recently recommended in a report by the Commission into the Defence Forces which also cited a “masculine” culture in the military.
In a statement to The Indo Daily, the Irish Independent’s podcast, a spokeswoman said that the Chief of Staff has discussed increased female involvement with his Australian counterpart.
“The target of 35pc is indeed an ambitious one. The Australian Defence Forces is one of the leading militaries in the world with regards female participation at approximately 20pc,” the spokeswoman said.
“In the short term the Defence Forces recruitment branch will look at setting targets for female participation on induction and on relevant career courses.”
Figures show that the current female membership is 7.1pc with numbers joining the Permanent Defence Forces each year declining slightly, from 54 women in 2016 to 44 last year.
The military said it will strive to “be more outward thinking” in looking at alternative means of recruitment. This, the spokeswoman said, could include hiring civilian women in specialist posts.
“Family-friendly measures, flexible working arrangements, blended and online learning for courses to minimise the impact of travel away from home for long periods are all measures that have been implemented in recent years in an effort to retain highly qualified and experienced female and male personnel.
“The Defence Forces is aware that we are an organisation with 93pc male participation and we are determined to recruit a more diverse workforce, both permanent and reserve, uniformed and civilian, to create a more innovative, problem-solving, culture with new approaches and fresh perspectives that benefit the organisation as a whole.”
The Commission was established by Defence Minister Simon Coveney in late 2020 in response to concerns about the capabilities of the military and an ongoing retention crisis.
The report also recommended a substantial increase in Defence Forces capabilities and resources, as well as an overhaul of its command structure