Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My question relates to the number of units in which the strength in station for officers is running at less than 50%. When replying to that point, the Minister of State referenced cadets and training. That is not the same as officers in station. When questions are put to the Minister of State and his Department about the strength of the Permanent Defence Force, his response always makes reference to the establishment and the strength of the Defence Forces. On the previous occasion on which I put that question to him, like today, he confirmed that the Defence Forces are at 97% of their establishment strength. Does the Minister of State acknowledge that the Defence Forces establishment only factors in trained personnel and does not account for personnel in training? They are not the same. Is it not the case that this figure of 97% misrepresents the actual number of trained personnel while also failing to factor in the complete numbers deployed on operational duty?

I know that the Minister of State was presented with certain figures on officer numbers and on strength in station at the RACO conference. That is the basis of my question to him today. Some of the figures with which I was presented showed that many units are operating with less than 50% of their establishment officer strength. The ordnance unit, that is the bomb disposal unit, has an establishment figure of 21 officers but has eight in station. One battalion has only five officers out of an establishment figure of 25 in station. In another, there are seven out of 25 and in one case there is only one fifth of the establishment strength. Why does the Minister of State fail to factor in the number of lieutenants and captains who are unavailable because they are on permanent postings to overseas units into Defence Forces establishment figures? Clearly, there are units operating with less than 50% of their establishment officer strength in station.

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