Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force as of 31 August 2011, the latest date for which figures are available, was 9,513 comprising 7,722 Army, 786 Air Corps and 1,005 Naval Service personnel.

The approved employment control framework for the Permanent Defence Force is based on a figure of 10,000 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 also sets out a target for further fiscal consolidation over the period to 2015.

Overall numbers in the Permanent Defence Force, including numbers serving at various ranks, will be subject to ongoing control and monthly monitoring. This is to ensure compliance within the overall parameters and controls set by Government for each sector. The employment control framework, ECF, also sets out that it will be necessary to underpin the re-organisation with the required amendments to regulations and administrative instructions. In this regard the strength ceiling set out in the ECF has been incorporated into a revised Defence Force regulation, CS4. The military authorities are finalising a re-organisation based on this revised regulation.

It is not possible to estimate the number of members of the Permanent Defence Force who may seek to retire between now and the end of February 2012. The matter is being kept under review to ensure the impact on public services of any retirements is minimised.

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