Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The indicator for all of this is the situation in which we find ourselves nationally as a result of the mismanagement of the State's finances by the Government of which the Deputy's party was a part. The figures I supplied earlier relate to 2010, when Fianna Fáil was in power. At that time, the then Government reduced the proportion of GDP spent in this area. There are no figures available for the intervening years. The number of civil servants in the Department of Defence has decreased by 15%, which exceeds the 11% reduction in the number of Permanent Defence Force personnel during the same period. While we acknowledge that the situation is difficult, that barracks have closed and that redeployment has taken place, the Chief of Staff has made it clear that he has the resources necessary to allow him to do his job.

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