Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

I cannot give the Deputy all the facts he has sought. However, I assure him they will be brought to him as soon as possible. The key point is the Government will maintain Army personnel numbers at 9,500 and it will recruit up to 600 as soon as possible. The Army must assess where this recruitment will take place and at what rank. The table supplied to the Deputy outlines the vacancies at present across all ranks.

The key point relates to strategic workforce planning. This has been under way for the past 18 months. The operational capacity of the Defence Forces within the reduced figures takes account of the large numbers of staff leaving. Initiatives have been taken, including the establishment of a barracks closure working group to manage issues relating to barracks closures and consolidation. The Croke Park agreement implementation group deals with recruitment and promotions and it prioritises appointments required to be filled in the organisation to maintain essential output. While the reduction in personnel will be challenging within the military system, procedures have been and are being put in place to ensure that all vacant posts are covered pending the filling of essential vacancies. The situation is being monitored closely. As the Deputy acknowledged, the Government remains committed to ensuring that the Defence Forces retain the capacity to operate effectively in all roles assigned to them.

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