Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

Within the available resources, the Government is committed to maintaining the strength of the Permanent Defence Force at a level of 10,000, all ranks, for which Government approval has been secured in the context of budget 2010. This reflects the reductions in personnel recommended in the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes.

I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force as at 30 April 2010, the latest date for which figures are available, was 9,856 broken down as follows: 797 for the Air Corps, 1,023 for the Naval Service and 8,036 for the Army.

Officials from the Department together with the military authorities are currently engaged in a review of the structures and posts required to meet the operational requirements of the Permanent Defence Force within the reduced numbers. Following on from this review, discussions will commence with the Department of Finance to agree an employment control framework for the Defence Forces, which is sustainable within a figure of 10,000 serving personnel in the Permanent Defence Force.

The position with regard to promotion is that once the employment control framework has been agreed with the Department of Finance, sanction for promotion will be delegated to the Department of Defence, with ongoing control monitoring by the Department of Finance on a monthly basis, to ensure ongoing compliance with the overall parameters and controls set by Government for each sector.

With regard to recruitment, as the Deputy will be aware, I have recently approved the recruitment of 40 recruits to the Naval Service. In addition, the military authorities will shortly advertise for some limited recruitment to the Army. While these are challenging times, my priority is to ensure that the Defence Forces are organised, equipped and staffed in a manner which will ensure that they can continue to deliver the services required of them by Government.

I am advised that at this time the Defence Forces retain the capacity to undertake the tasks laid down by Government both at home and overseas.

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