Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The information I have is that in some instances the number of officers is so low that those in ranks below them must move to other barracks to perform routine duties. I understand the points being made by the Minister of State in a number of replies today around the recruitment ban to the effect that numbers were not there or that soldiers and other members of the Defence Forces of different ranks have left the forces to go into the private sector, and that these factors have hampered the ability of the Defence Forces to operate at the desired maximum. What steps are being taken to ensure the required numbers of officers are present and trained, when the length of time for training is taken into account? There are internal restrictions in various parts of the Defence Forces that also impact on this situation. Some duties, for example, cannot be carried out until one has reached a certain officer grade. Are those restrictions also being looked at to ensure that officers who are qualified - but without the internal requirement - can step up to the mark at this stage?

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