The association representing 6,500 enlisted Defence Forces members says the Government is failing to pay military specialists enough to prevent them from being lured into the private sector. The Defence Forces are understrength right across the board, but are critically short of technical expertise in certain areas. The Naval Service lacks engine room technicians, electrical technicians and medics. He said the lack of a dedicated body, as recommended by the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces, to administer proper pay for specialists only serves to underpin the belief amongst many of his members “of how little is thought of the Defence Forces in real terms”. “PDFORRA believes years of underinvestment has given rise to the current crisis within the Defence Forces generally and specifically in areas of the Naval Service, Army and Air Corps.

Source: Irish Examiner January 19, 2026 15:15 UTC