Defence Forces must pay deserving cadets their true worth

Cadets are paid far lower than the enlisted soldiers they work beside for the first five years — this anomaly would be indefensible in any other profession, writes Conor King

The alarmingly low pay for cadets acts as a barrier to entry for anyone who cannot rely on family to support them for the crucial early years of training. Picture: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Ireland asks a great deal of its Defence Forces cadets. We ask these young men and women to commit up to two years of their lives to one of the most demanding training regimes in the State. We ask them to accept military law, restricted personal freedoms, and relentless scrutiny. We ask them to lead others, often at a young age, and to represent the State at home and abroad. What we do not do is pay them fairly.

Cadet pay is not just low, it is shockingly low. In real terms, cadets are paid far below the national minimum wage for the hours they work. Cadet pay remains the lowest in the Defence Forces, at just €503 per week, compared to €550 for a recruit, rising to €627 after 12 weeks. Cadets remain on this pay for the entirety of their first year, while recruits move to a weekly salary of €814 after just six months, or €42,465.65 annually.