Written answers
Tuesday, 9 May 2006
Department of Defence
Defence Forces Strength
9:00 pm
Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of personnel in the Army, Marine and Air Force for each of the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17201/06]
Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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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. Recruitment into the Permanent Defence Force will continue to maintain the strength at the level set out in the White Paper as required to meet military needs. The Defence Forces continue to have a proactive approach to all aspects of recruiting.
The strength of the Permanent Defence Force for each of the years 1997 to 2006, as advised by the military authorities, is provided in the following tabular statement.
| Strength of the Army | ||||
| Date | Officers | NCOs | Privates | Total |
| 31 Dec. 1997 | 1,111 | 3,479 | 4,905 | 9,495 |
| 30 Sept. 1998* | 1,096 | 3,471 | 5,065 | 9,632 |
| 31 Dec. 1999 | 1,030 | 3,359 | 4,754 | 9,143 |
| 31 Dec. 2000 | 1,016 | 3,249 | 4,645 | 8,910 |
| 31 Dec. 2001 | 1,019 | 3,159 | 4,638 | 8,816 |
| 31 Dec. 2002 | 997 | 3,130 | 4,493 | 8,620 |
| 31 Dec. 2003 | 1,027 | 3,086 | 4,404 | 8,517 |
| 31 Dec. 2004 | 1,039 | 3,072 | 4,481 | 8,592 |
| 31 Dec. 2005 | 1,051 | 3,060 | 4,427 | 8,538 |
| 31 Mar. 2006# | 1,042 | 3,036 | 4,387 | 8,465 |
| Strength of the Air Corps | ||||
| Date | Officers | NCOs | Privates | Total |
| 31 Dec. 1997 | 132 | 419 | 495 | 1,046 |
| 30 Sept. 1998* | 129 | 400 | 482 | 1,011 |
| 31 Dec. 1999 | 121 | 346 | 426 | 893 |
| 31 Dec. 2000 | 130 | 335 | 375 | 840 |
| 31 Dec. 2001 | 126 | 379 | 407 | 912 |
| 31 Dec. 2002 | 137 | 395 | 373 | 905 |
| 31 Dec. 2003 | 137 | 414 | 351 | 902 |
| 31 Dec. 2004 | 140 | 398 | 333 | 871 |
| 31 Dec. 2005 | 134 | 403 | 315 | 852 |
| 31 Mar. 2006# | 135 | 404 | 308 | 847 |
| Strength of the Naval Service | ||||
| Date | Officers | NCOs | Privates | Total |
| 31 Dec. 1997 | 126 | 434 | 455 | 1,015 |
| 30 Sept. 1998* | 123 | 434 | 455 | 1,012 |
| 31 Dec. 1999 | 111 | 434 | 463 | 1,008 |
| 31 Dec. 2000 | 116 | 435 | 425 | 976 |
| 31 Dec. 2001 | 116 | 426 | 405 | 947 |
| 31 Dec. 2002 | 136 | 437 | 461 | 1,034 |
| 31 Dec. 2003 | 139 | 467 | 473 | 1,079 |
| 31 Dec. 2004 | 156 | 490 | 442 | 1,088 |
| 31 Dec. 2005 | 163 | 471 | 421 | 1,055 |
| 31 Mar. 2006# | 163 | 490 | 413 | 1,066 |
| *Due to the re-organisation of the Permanent Defence Force during the last Quarter of 1998 the military authorities did not compile the usual end of year strengths for that year. The latest available statistics for 1998 are the September 1998 Quarterly returns. | ||||
| #Most recent available figures for 2006. |
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