Hundreds of Defence Forces recruits paid to leave before completing their training

The number of recruits paying to get out of the Defence Forces before their training has even finished confirms claims that the retention crisis can't be overcome just by major recruitment drives alone.

The number of recruits paying to get out of the Defence Forces before their training has even finished confirms claims the retention crisis can't be overcome by major recruitment drives alone.

Figures obtained by Jack Chambers, Fianna Fáil spokesman for Defence, show that 861 personnel paid to get out of the army, naval service and air corps from 2016 to 2018. Of those, 400 were recruits in training.