Defence Forces Chief of Staff warns that specialised personnel are not paid enough

Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy said: 'Despite extensive efforts, staffing challenges have persisted as a competitive commercial aviation market has targeted this highly specialised, highly trained stream within the Air Corps.' File picture

The Defence Forces chief of staff has said the State is not paying highly specialised military personnel enough money for them to stay in the army.

Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy said that while he recognised much had been done to pay soldiers more money, “a disparity between the pay rates of highly specialised military personnel and their civilian equivalents remains”.