Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 17 together.

Arising from the Government's comprehensive review of expenditure, the strength ceiling of the Permanent Defence Force, PDF, was reduced to 9,500 personnel. In response to this reduced strength ceiling, my colleague, the Minister for Defence, initiated a major reorganisation of the Defence Forces, both permanent and reserve.

A three brigade Army structure was adopted in the 1990s when the strength ceiling of the PDF was set at approximately 11,500 personnel. It was retained when the White Paper on Defence of 2000 revised the strength ceiling of the PDF to 10,500 personnel. However, it is no longer viable to retain a three brigade structure within a strength ceiling of 9,500 personnel.

In this context, the re-organisation of the Defence Forces will encompass a reduction in the number of Army brigades from the current three to two. It will also ensure that the organisational structures of the Reserve Defence Force dovetail with those of the PDF.

The re-organisation will ensure that, within the strength level of 9,500 PDF personnel, the operational effectiveness of the Permanent Defence Force is prioritised. A reorganisation to two brigades will bolster the availability of operational personnel by reducing the numbers of military personnel assigned to administrative and support functions.

The Minister for Defence has requested the Chief of Staff and the Secretary General of the Department of Defence to bring forward detailed proposals for his consideration. The Secretary General and the Chief of Staff have initiated work in this regard and are keeping the Minister informed of developments on an ongoing basis.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

This is a fundamental reorganisation of the Defence Forces. It is a significant undertaking and there is a range of alternative approaches that must be considered. The Minister previously outlined that this work will take some months to complete. Accordingly, the detailed effects of changes arising from the reorganisation, including the implications for the levels of rank establishments, cannot be specified at this point. In advance of receiving a final report and recommendations, the Minister does not intend to pre-empt the ongoing work by commenting on potential future organisational matters.

The representative associations and other relevant stakeholders will be consulted on matters that fall within their remit when options on the reorganised structure are considered and the likely impacts are known.

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