He has suggested that recruitment could be utilised from outside of Ireland
Kildare South TD Seán O' Fearghaíl has said he is "profoundly concerned" by the state of the recruitment numbers for the Defence Forces
He suggested that recruitment could be utilised from outside of Ireland, while referencing figures of people working in the health service who trained abroad.
Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy O' Fearghaíl said that the strength of the Defence Forces had "declined over the last decade".
"I've watched as the strength of our Defence Forces has declined over the last decade and while recognising something of a stabilisation, I have to say that I'm profoundly concerned at the current strength of our defence forces."
"It is a disappointment that as we take the EU presidency, and as we rightly commit to spend more on defence, that we have not succeeded in boosting our force numbers to what could be considered an acceptable level."
According to a report from the Commission on the Defence Forces, the number of people in the Force should be 11,500 by 2028.
However, the 400 recruits a year policy means it will take 10 years to reach that figure, according to Deputy O' Fearghail.
He called for the recruitment process to be "creative" and "far more resolute".
In response, Tánaiste Simon Harris said that there were more than 10,000 applications up until May 2026, while saying that he didn't want to give any direct response to recruiting those overseas to the Defence Forces.
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