Changes to the retirement age and the maximum recruitment age for military personnel come into effect today.

The mandatory retirement age for both the Permanent Defense Forces (PDF) and the Reserve Defense Forces (RDF) has now been raised to 60.

Lieutenant Colonel Iain Conlon of the Army Reserve said the higher recruitment age will mean that an older applicant – who in the past may not have considered a career in either the permanent or the reserve Defense Forces – will now be able to apply.

Speaking on RTÉ’s News At One, he said western militaries are facing a lack