IRELAND should follow the Canadian military’s lead and use loyalty bonuses to bolster Defence Forces numbers, it’s claimed.
Reports this week revealed the Canadian military are pushing their government for extra funding for retention bonuses to encourage soldiers to stay in the army.
The Irish Defence Forces has struggled to retain soldiers in recent years, as private sector companies head-hunt our troops due to the quality of their training and skills.
The established strength of our Defence Forces is supposed to be 9,500, however, figures from November show we only have 7,447 troops.
The last Government committed to boosting the strength of our military to 11,500 personnel by 2028.
In recent years, Defence Minister Micheal Martin has increased pay and conditions for soldiers in a bid to boost recruitment, with the starting salary for a three-star private or able seaman now €40,297.
This has coincided with a boost in applications to join the Defence Forces, however, there continues to be an exodus of soldiers leaving our military to take up well paid positions in the private sector.
PDFORRA, the group that represents rank and file soldiers, today calls on the Irish Defence Forces to follow the lead of the Canadian military and push our government for funding to introduce loyalty bonuses to help keep staff.
President Mark Keane told The Irish Sun: “We have has long advocated for the introduction of retention and recruitment payments similar to those just announced by the Canadian Armed Forces.
“Internationally, other Armed Forces have implemented similar measures to maintain retention levels.
“These measures must go hand in glove with career development, work-life balance, and organisational culture changes.
“PDFORRA will continue to advocate for these measures to address the ongoing challenges facing our members and their families serving with Oglaigh na hEireann."