Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 127: To ask the Minister for Defence the deployment of the Defence Forces throughout the country; the criteria for such deployment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17203/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The current deployment of the Permanent Defence Force, which comprises the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service, is based on and derives from the Defence Forces Review Implementation Plan 1996-1998 and the subsequent White Paper on Defence of February 2000. The main focus during this period was on the restructuring of the Defence Forces into a more rationally structured and streamlined organization.

The deployment of Formations is broadly as follows:

ARMY

The Army is structured into 3 all-arms Brigades, consisting of Combat, Combat Support and Combat Service Support elements. Each Brigade is designated a territorial area of responsibility, specific Garrison locations and a recruitment area as follows:

∙2 Eastern Brigade

Covers Counties Wicklow, Kildare, Dublin, Meath, Louth and Monaghan.

∙1 Southern Brigade

Covers Counties Cork, Kerry, Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Laois, Kilkenny, Carlow and Wexford.

∙ 4 Western Brigade

Covers Counties Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Cavan, Roscommon, Longford, Westmeath, Offaly.

∙ Defence Forces Training Centre

The DFTC and the Defence Forces Logistics Base at the Curragh support the training and logistics functions for the Permanent Defence Force and the Reserve Defence Force.

AIR CORPS

The Air Corps, based at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel consists of an Operational Headquarters, 2 Operational Wings (consisting of a Training/Light Strike Squadron, Helicopter Squadrons, a Maritime Squadron, a Transport Squadron and a Fixed Wing Reconnaissance Squadron 2 Support Wings (tasked with specialist maintenance of the aircraft fleet), an Air Corps Training College and a Communication and Information Services Squadron.

NAVAL SERVICE

The Naval Service is based at Haulbowline in Co. Cork. It consists of an Operational Headquarters, an Operations Command, a Support Command and a Naval Service College. It has a flotilla of 8 Ships consisting of a Helicopter Patrol Vessel (HPV) Squadron, a Large Patrol Vessel (LPV) Squadron, an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Squadron and a Coastal Patrol Vessel (CPV) Squadron. The Support Command is responsible for personnel and all logistical, engineering and maintenance functions.

The following table shows the strength of the Permanent Defence Force on 31 March, 2006 as per the above deployment: