Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 38: To ask the Minister for Defence if he has satisfied himself with the current level of female membership of the Defence Forces; if he will prioritise the recruitment of greater numbers of women into the Defence Forces; the current number of females in the Defence Forces for the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24193/04]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 72: To ask the Minister for Defence the strength of the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps, male and female; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24531/04]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 72 together.

The White Paper on defence of February 2000 sets out a figure of 10,500 personnel for the Permanent Defence Force, comprising 930 for the Air Corps, 1,144 for the Naval Service and 8,426 for the Army. It is my intention to maintain the established Government policy of ongoing recruitment to the Defence Forces to maintain the strength at a level required to meet military needs and as set out in the White Paper, that is, 10,500 in the Permanent Defence Force, all ranks. The Government remains fully committed to the policy of ongoing recruitment to ensure that an overall PDF strength of 10,500 is achieved and maintained.

The strength of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service and the number of personnel by rank and gender within these services, as advised by the military authorities, is provided in the accompanying tabular statement. The figures provided are as at 31 July 2004 in respect of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service. The Government is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women in the Defence Forces, including the Reserve Defence Force, and to the full participation by women in all aspects of Defence Forces activities.

Women are eligible for service in the Army, Air Corps, Naval Service and in the Reserve Defence Force and to compete for promotion on an equal basis and under the same general conditions as those which apply to men. Female officers are generally being promoted at the same stage in their career as male officers. All female personnel undergo the same training and receive the same military education as their male counterparts. Under the terms of the Employment Equality Act 1998, the Defence Forces are prohibited from operating recruitment policies that discriminate on grounds of gender.

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 5' 4" and this height requirement now also applies to male recruits. The Defence Forces actively encourage female applicants by advertising — 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; recruitment fairs — stands at recruiting fairs are generally staffed by male and female personnel; and visits to schools — when the Defence Forces are invited to give talks at all female or at mixed schools, every effort is made to have a female speaker.

Over the past six years, the strength of female personnel in the Defence Forces has grown from 244 at the end of 1997 to 496 the end of July 2004. This constitutes an increase of 100% in the number of females serving over this period.