Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

The size of the Defence Forces was agreed in the context of budget 2010 and that stands independently of the White Paper process. I expect, however, the process to set out the requirements of the armed forces for the next ten years. I always felt the figure of 10,000 was dangerous in the sense that it was open to attack on that basis that it could be said it was plucked out of mid-air. I would have been happier with 10,100 or 9,750 because 10,000 seems to be a contrived figure. In the context of the White Paper, I expect all the stakeholders will have an input and one of the underlying considerations will be what role the State expects of the military. When the role is established, the size of the Defence Forces will flow from that. If, for example, the White Paper were to envisage the role we discussed at a committee meeting yesterday regarding an overlap with the education system, that would have implications for the number of people involved and for the role of the military. I am entirely open to considerations of that nature. Ultimately, a decision will have to be made on the role and that will reflect on the strength subsequently.

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