Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Defence Forces are committed to providing support to the civil authorities specifically in relation to Search and Rescue. The Irish Coast Guard has overall responsibility for the provision of maritime Search and Rescue services within the Irish Search and Rescue Region, and the Naval Service and the Air Corps provide support to the Coast Guard in this regard as the need arises and within their available capability. While the Air Corps has withdrawn from the direct provision of Search and Rescue services, Air Corps pilots continue to train in search and rescue techniques and to provide a limited non-maritime search and rescue response. The specification for the new helicopters being acquired for the Air Corps includes a Search and Rescue capability.

Search and Rescue capability requires a wide range of available skills: piloting, winching, medical, vessel crewing, radar etc. I am advised by the military authorities that the availability of these skills within the Defence Forces is sufficient to meet their continuing commitments in this area.

The White Paper on Defence of February 2000 sets out a figure of 10,500 personnel for the Permanent Defence Force all ranks comprising 930 for the Air Corps, 1,144 for the Naval Service and 8,426 for the Army. There are no proposals to increase the strength of the Permanent Defence Force above the White Paper figure of 10,500. Recruitment into the Permanent Defence Force will continue to maintain the strength at the approved level.