Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 4: To ask the Minister for Defence the total number of retirements from the armed forces at the end of February 2012; the number of senior positions that are now vacant in the armed forces; the number of positions that have been or will be filled; his plans to maintain military capacities in view of these retirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14579/12]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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The number of personnel who left the Defence Forces in the period 1 January to 29 February 2012 was 551. The total number of vacancies at all ranks as at 29 February, 2011, and based on the current employment control framework, ECF, is set out in the tabular statement. The ECF is being revised in the context of the reduction in personnel to 9,500 and the reorganisation announced recently by the Minister for Defence. The reorganisation will ensure that, within the strength level of 9,500 personnel, the operational effectiveness of the Permanent Defence Force is prioritised. Pending the reorganisation, priority posts will be filled.

Following recent promotion competitions, the vacancy which existed at the rank of major general was filled by the Government on 6 March. Vacancies at the rank of brigadier general have been also filled. Competitions and promotion procedures are currently in train to fill essential prioritised vacancies at all other ranks and this process will be completed as quickly as possible.

As the Defence Forces are currently more than 500 below the agreed serving cadre of 9,500, phased recruitment of in excess of 500, I believe, will be undertaken in 2012. I am advised by the military authorities that a new recruitment competition will be advertised shortly.

As the Defence Forces are currently more than 500 below the agreed serving cadre of 9,500, phased recruitment of in excess of 500, I believe, will be undertaken in 2012. I am advised by the military authorities that a new recruitment competition will be advertised shortly.

As the Defence Forces are currently more than 500 below the agreed serving cadre of 9,500, phased recruitment of in excess of 500, I believe, will be undertaken in 2012. I am advised by the military authorities that a new recruitment competition will be advertised shortly.

As the Defence Forces are currently more than 500 below the agreed serving cadre of 9,500, phased recruitment of in excess of 500, I believe, will be undertaken in 2012. I am advised by the military authorities that a new recruitment competition will be advertised shortly.

As the Defence Forces are currently more than 500 below the agreed serving cadre of 9,500, phased recruitment of in excess of 500, I believe, will be undertaken in 2012. I am advised by the military authorities that a new recruitment competition will be advertised shortly.

Naval Service – 29 February 2012

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I am please there will be a phased recruitment to the Defence Forces. I ask the Minister of State to enlighten the House and tell us more precisely when this will be happen. In December the Minister for Defence announced he would maintain the Defence Forces personnel at 9,500 and the recruitment is in keeping with that commitment, which is welcome.

The Minister of State alluded to the reorganisation of the Defence Forces. PDFORRA and the RACO, which represent enlisted personnel and officers, expressed disappointment and surprise at the Minister's move to reorganise from three to two brigades. How many senior positions will be removed under the restructuring of the Defence Forces? What specific amount of cadetship will be opened up this year under the rearranged structure?

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I cannot give the Deputy all the facts he has sought. However, I assure him they will be brought to him as soon as possible. The key point is the Government will maintain Army personnel numbers at 9,500 and it will recruit up to 600 as soon as possible. The Army must assess where this recruitment will take place and at what rank. The table supplied to the Deputy outlines the vacancies at present across all ranks.

The key point relates to strategic workforce planning. This has been under way for the past 18 months. The operational capacity of the Defence Forces within the reduced figures takes account of the large numbers of staff leaving. Initiatives have been taken, including the establishment of a barracks closure working group to manage issues relating to barracks closures and consolidation. The Croke Park agreement implementation group deals with recruitment and promotions and it prioritises appointments required to be filled in the organisation to maintain essential output. While the reduction in personnel will be challenging within the military system, procedures have been and are being put in place to ensure that all vacant posts are covered pending the filling of essential vacancies. The situation is being monitored closely. As the Deputy acknowledged, the Government remains committed to ensuring that the Defence Forces retain the capacity to operate effectively in all roles assigned to them.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Is the Minister of State suggesting that it has yet to be decided exactly which recruitment will take place in the various ranks? If so, when will this be decided and when will it be advertised? The Minister of State indicated there would be a recruitment of up to a maximum of 600 personnel. However, the Minister has yet to identify which ranks will be recruited and when this will take place.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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It is important to get this exactly right in view of the reorganisation that is pending. There is no point in having the wrong rank of person doing a given job. Those recruited must fit the vacancies deemed to be essential. This is a fundamental reorganisation and a significant undertaking. A range of approaches must be considered. The experience from previous reorganisations has shown that time is required to formulate options and to evaluate each of them and, subsequently, to decide on the best option to ensure that the organisational structures are fit for purpose. The Minister will not pre-empt the ongoing work on the potential future of organisational matters in advance of receiving the final report or the making of recommendations. I assure the Deputy that the numbers will be filled up to 9,500 personnel. The key message is that there will be active recruitment as soon as possible up to a figure of 9,500 for the Defence Forces. I understand up to 600 new, younger people will be employed in the Defence Forces.