Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

In regard to today's Estimates, I am delighted that for the first time in the history of the State the defence budget has exceeded €1 million. It has always been a small budget compared to the budgets for the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Education and Science, Health and Children etc.

On the matter of the exact terms of that 2001 commitment, my understanding is that the commitment was to maintain an Army, a Permanent Defence Force of 10,500. The Chief of Staff was permitted to maintain an extra 250 personnel in training, but the overall strength of the Permanent Defence Force would not exceed 10,500. Therefore, the commitment was not as binding as the Deputy suggests. That commitment was adhered to. The Government at its discretion — it retained the discretion under the original decision — told the Chief of Staff that it could no longer permit him to maintain the extra 250 personnel in training because the Department of Defence wanted to play its part in controlling public service numbers.

I assure Deputy Timmins that at the time of publication of the White Paper the overall strength of the Army and what we would need was assessed — that continues to be assessed — in the context of providing the required number of personnel to improve equipment, training, facilities etc., and the conclusion was that 10,500 would be required.

Our troops are doing a magnificent job abroad, as everybody is aware. We have committed up to 830 troops abroad, which is a big commitment given the size of our country and Army. My information is that the Army is sufficiently large for present day requirements.

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