€15m spent in 2016 to replace military staff

It cost the taxpayer €15m in one year to replace Defence Forces personnel who left because they weren’t paid properly.

Figures in a leaked report, compiled by senior military officers, show that in 2016 a total of 62 officers and 441 enlisted men left the Army, Naval Service, and Air Corps voluntarily.

The cost of training the officer replacements was €4m and €11m for enlisted men.