Military bodies welcome expansion of seagoing loyalty bonus but warn more is needed to stem staff exodus

In January 2021, Minister for Defence Simon Coveney announced a new Sea-Going Service Commitment Scheme to ensure enough personnel would commit to sea patrols with a taxable loyalty bonus of €10,000. Picture: Denis Minihane

Military representative associations have welcomed the news that additional members of the Naval Service will be eligible for a loyalty bonus for committing to sea patrols.

However, they say this alone will not be enough to stem the tide of people leaving the force.