Martin says hiring of 400 Defence Forces recruits a 'realistic target'

Tánaiste and Defence Minister, during a Budget 2024 press conference at Government Buildings, at which he said he 'fundamentally' disagrees with the assertion from opposition TDs and representative groups that insufficient resources have been allocated to the Defence Forces. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

Defence and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin has said the hiring of 400 new military recruits that the Government is aiming to achieve in Budget 2024 is a “realistic target”, and that if the State “can go beyond that then we will”.

Personnel levels in the Defence Forces are at a historic low in the context of scandals relating to the treatment of women in the service and ongoing wrangles over members’ pay.