Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Chambers, who has said she welcomes the investment in the Naval Service, that there was under-investment in the service for quite some time. It is important that our ships are capable of carrying out the work they do every day. Although savings of €23 million and €5 million, or €28 million in total, are being made in the context of the current strength of the Permanent Defence Force, I assure the Deputy that sufficient resources are available to increase its strength to 9,500 personnel. Since my appointment, I have had meetings with representatives of the Defence Forces, including the Chief of Staff and the Deputy Chief of Staff Support, Major General Kevin Cotter, on the issue of recruitment. We are keen to ensure we recruit as many people as possible. I assure the Deputy that the resources are there for 9,500 personnel. I can inform her that 646 personnel have been recruited to date in 2016. The largest cadet class in the history of the State went through the senior and junior cadet classes this year. Just 100 junior cadets started in September of this year. The resources are there to make sure we can increase the strength of the Defence Forces to 9,500. I assure the Deputy that real efforts are being made in the area of recruitment. I have spoken to Major General Cotter about this issue and I am meeting him again next week to discuss how we can make sure a wider community interacts with next year's competition, which is an issue we discussed the last time I appeared before this committee. If members have any ideas, I am open to listening to them.

Funding of €170,000 is available this year for all the representative associations - RACO, PDFORRA and the RDFRA. On the Reserve Defence Force-----