Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I assure the Deputy that, within the resource envelope available for the defence portfolio, I will endeavour to ensure that the Defence Forces are organised, equipped and staffed such that they will retain the operational capability necessary to allow them to deliver the services required of them by Government. The approved employment control framework, ECF, for the Defence Forces is based on a figure of 10,000 members of all ranks appropriately configured across the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps. In 2011, the defence organisation, like all areas of the public service, is operating on a reduced budget. The programme for Government sets out a target for further fiscal consolidation during the period to 2015.

In the context of the ECF and the available resource envelope, the military authorities and officials of the Department are in the process of agreeing a restructuring of the Permanent Defence Force to ensure its capability to meet the roles assigned to it by Government. I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force as of 30 April 2011, the latest date for which figures are available, was 9,658, comprising 7,864 Army, 790 Air Corps and 1,004 Naval Service personnel. The total number of commissioned officers serving as of 30 April 2011 was 1,352.

Overall numbers in the Permanent Defence Force, including numbers serving at various ranks, will be subject to ongoing control and monitoring on a monthly basis. This is to ensure compliance within the overall parameters and controls set by Government for each sector. The ECF also sets out that it will be necessary to underpin the reorganisation with the required amendments to regulations and administrative instructions.

Officials in my Department, in consultation with their colleagues in the military, are currently critically examining defence expenditure as part of the comprehensive review of expenditure, to which I referred in respect of an earlier question and which was recently announced by Government. The Government's decisions arising from the comprehensive review will further inform the resource envelope available for defence over the coming years and the priorities within the area of defence. 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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