Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The recruitment target is the same but it is on a lower base, unfortunately, because of the challenges around recruitment and retention. If we go above the 400, the funding will be there to meet it. There is no issue. If, say, we get 600 in net, the funding will be there to deal with it. We will simply get a Supplementary Estimate on that because we have an establishment figure that is much higher.

In the Estimate of two years ago, agreement was reached between the Department of public expenditure and the Department of Defence on setting a target. Up until then, Defence would have got the establishment figure in terms of current expenditure for the then establishment of 9,500 but there was a change two years ago that the Department would get funding for what was a reasonable estimate as to how many people were in because the establishment has been well down from 9,500 for quite a number of years.