Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 4: To ask the Minister for Defence the level of female membership of all units of the Defence Forces; the steps he will take to encourage more women to join the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7507/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The levels of female membership of units of the Permanent Defence Force, as advised by the military authorities are provided in the form of the following tabular statement.

There are currently 528 female personnel serving in the Permanent Defence Force. The Government is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women in the Defence Forces, namely, the Army, Air Corps, Naval Service and Reserve Defence Force, and the full participation by women in all aspects of Defence Forces activities. This means women are eligible on the same basis as men for participation in operational and ceremonial activities, assignment to all military appointments and educational and training courses and promotion. All female personnel undergo the same training and receive the same military education as their male counterparts.

To encourage increased participation by women in the Defence Forces, my predecessor decided in March 1998 to reduce the height requirement for all female recruits to 162.5 cm, or 5 ft. 4 in. This height requirement also applies to male recruits. The Defence Forces actively encourage female applicants, for example, by advertising, recruitment fairs and school visits. Where possible, all graphical advertisements and booklets produced for the Defence Forces show both male and female personnel and emphasise that all applicants are assessed on an equal basis. Stands at recruiting fairs are generally staffed by male and female personnel. When the Defence Forces are invited to give talks at mixed or all female schools, every effort is made to provide a female speaker. The number of female personnel in the Permanent Defence Force has increased from 244 at the end of 1997 to 528 at present. This constitutes an increase of more than 100% in the number of females serving over this period.

On 5 August 2005 I wrote to the Departments of Education and Science and Justice, Equality and Law Reform and a number of outside organisations seeking their views and recommendations as to how more women might be encouraged to enlist in the Defence Forces. All of their replies have been received, the last on 17 January 2006, and are being examined in my Department in order to proceed to the next phase of the operation.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

I propose that officials, both civil and military, of the Department of Defence will meet representatives of each of the organisations that made submissions, the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, RACO, and the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association, PDFORRA. These meetings will consider ideas and suggestions and explore possible improvements or changes to the programme of recruitment to encourage more females to join the Defence Forces.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister inform the House of the proposals in the reports of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and other bodies?

In a previous reply the Minister stated he would examine the height requirement for women, which is an old chestnut. The former Minister for Defence, Deputy Michael Smith, reduced the requirement from 5 ft. 5 in. to 5 ft. 4 in. but he also reduced the requirement for males to the same height. The Defence Forces have put forward the case that a certain height requirement is needed for carrying loads but there is no scientific evidence on which to base this requirement. I am sure some of our top international male and female weight-lifters are shorter than 5 ft. 4 in. The Minister should examine the research on the body mass index carried out in his constituency in the former Thomond College.

Does the Minister agree the average height of women is less than that of men? If the entry requirement is 5 ft. 4 in. for both genders, it discriminates against women as a far greater percentage of women than men cannot apply for the Defence Forces. Does the Minister understand my point? He has a mathematical brain and it should not be a difficult issue to grasp.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I plan to discuss the contents of the reports with my officials, the Army and the representative organisations RACO and PDFORRA. I have no problem with publishing their contents at that stage. I expect the discussions to take place shortly.

The internal debate on the medical barrier to further reducing the height requirements for female applicants continues. As Deputy Timmins states, medical evidence suggests it would be dangerous for people of a lesser height to engage in this type of work. I have asked the Army to examine the latest scientific findings, re-evaluate the situation and consider the type of tasks members of the Army would be asked to undertake. This may allow us to overcome this difficulty. Men tend to be taller than women but the number of women who join the Army is in proportion to the number of applicants.

How can we encourage more women to apply? Women constitute approximately 5% of the Irish Permanent Defence Force compared to 9% in the United Kingdom, 14% in the United States and 13% in Sweden and France. We must increase the Irish figure. I recognise that the height requirement is a barrier to women joining. I have asked the Army to report to me on how the workload may be altered to accommodate more women if findings do not change.