Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Does the Minister of State consider that there is a need to ensure that the data reported reflect the reality and that there may be a case for providing the figures in a way that reflects actual capacity in the Defence Forces in real terms? The Minister of State mentioned the figure of 9,500. The strength figure was previously 10,500. I see we have lowered the bar a bit. Surely collecting more realistic data would give a much more accurate picture and would be reflective of the current retention crisis faced by the Defence Forces. It is helpful information in terms of monitoring the crisis and its impact on the ground. Will the Minister of State look at this and consider how the official strength of the Defence Forces should be calculated in the future?

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