Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 11 and 32 together.

The Government is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women in the Defence Forces, Army, Air Corps, Naval Service, including the Reserve Defence Force, and to the full participation by women in all aspects of Defence Forces activities. In effect that means that women are eligible on the same basis as men for participation in operational and ceremonial activities, for assignment to all military appointments and educational and training courses, and for promotion. All female personnel undergo the same training and receive the same military education as their male counterparts.

To encourage increased participation by women in the Defence Forces, my predecessor decided in March 1998 to reduce the height requirement for all female recruits to 162.5 cm, or 5 ft. 4 in. That height requirement now also applies to male recruits. The Defence Forces actively encourages female applicants, for example, by advertising. Where possible, all graphical advertisements and booklets produced for the Defence Forces show both male and female personnel and emphasise that all applicants are assessed on an equal basis. Stands at recruiting fairs are generally staffed by male and female personnel. When the Defence Forces are invited to give talks at all-female or mixed schools, every effort is made to have a female speaker.

The strength of female personnel in the Permanent Defence Force grew from 244 at the end of 1997 to 524 at the end of August 2005. That constitutes an increase of over 100% in the number of females serving over the period. On 5 August 2005, I wrote to both the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, along with a number of outside organisations, seeking their views and recommendations on how more women might be encouraged to enlist in the Defence Forces. I hope to have replies by the end of this month.

When the submissions have been received and examined, I propose that officials, both civil and military, of my Department meet representatives of each of the organisations that made submissions, along with the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers and the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association, to consider the ideas and suggestions to see what, if any, improvements or changes can be made to the programme of recruitment to encourage more females to join the Defence Forces.

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