Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

The Minister mentioned that when the White Paper was published the strength of the Permanent Defence Force was 11,500 but that due to the cutbacks in the public service, the strength of the Defence Forces was reduced to 10,500 and the provision for the 250 personnel in training was no longer maintained. Were there any cutbacks in the number of civilians in the Department of Defence in that period, given that there was a 10% reduction in the strength of the Army?

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