Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will answer the question in some detail, but I can provide further detail, if the Deputy wants.

In the 1980s there were over 600 staff in the Department. As there are now 350, the number has almost halved. This figure can be compared to that for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in which there were 4,500 staff, but that number is now down to about 3,300. Defence and Agriculture, Food and the Marine are two of the Departments in which staff numbers have been reduced significantly. Overall, numbers across the public sector are down by more than 10% in the past four years, resulting in an expenditure saving of well over €3 billion. There has been significant change in terms of a reduction in numbers and expenditure, but if a certain line is crossed, the capacity of a Department to do its job is fundamentally undermined. In having 350 staff, I do not regard the Department of Defence to be overstaffed. We have a significant job to do, not least on the White Paper in the next few months, but there are multiple other tasks the Department must perform to ensure it is run smoothly in terms of the Defence Forces and policy and legislation. I understand the committee will soon deal with legislation from the Department. While I am always open to correction and constructive criticism, the 352 staff we have in the Department are needed and provide good value for money.