Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 88, 94, 102, 122, 299 and 305 together.

The White Paper on Defence of 2000 provides for a Permanent Defence Force strength of 10,500, comprising 8,426 for the Army, 1,144 for the Naval Service and 930 for the Air Corps. It is my intention to maintain the established Government policy of ongoing recruitment to the Defence Forces. Recruitment to the Permanent Defence Force will continue to maintain the strength at the level set out in the White Paper as required to meet military needs. The Defence Forces continue to adopt a proactive approach to all aspects of recruiting.

The strength of the Permanent Defence Force on 31 January, the latest date for which detailed figures are available, as advised by the military authorities, was 10,426. This comprises 8,492 in the Army, 859 in the Air Corps and 1,075 in the Naval Service. There were, therefore, 69 vacancies in the Naval Service at that date. A detailed breakdown of the numbers in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps by rank are in the form of a tabular statement which I propose to circulate to the Deputy. The Permanent Defence Force manages recruit intakes so as to keep its annualised monthly average strength at or around 10,500.

The White Paper on Defence provides for an allocation of up to 850 Permanent Defence Force personnel to be deployed overseas at any one time through the United Nations Standby Arrangements System, UNSAS. While this may be exceeded for short periods, deployments above this level are not sustainable on an ongoing basis within existing resources. Any commitments to EU or UN missions will be met within this context. There are 808 Permanent Defence Force personnel deployed overseas. This figure includes 165 personnel deployed to UNIFIL in Lebanon.

I am satisfied the current strength is adequate to meet all needs arising at home and overseas.

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