Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 240: To ask the Minister for Defence the strength of the Defence Forces including personnel in training. [32356/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The strength of the Permanent Defence Force, as advised by the military authorities, was 10,383 on 30 September, 2006, the latest date for which figures are available. This total strength included 313 personnel who are in induction training as follows:

Instrumentalists — 1

Cadets — 80

Apprentices — 79

Recruits — 153.

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 White Paper on Defence provides for an allocation of up to 850 Permanent Defence Force personnel to be deployed overseas at any one time through the United Nations Standby Arrangements System (UNSAS). While this may be exceeded for short periods, deployments above this level are not sustainable on an ongoing basis within existing resources. Any commitments to EU or UN missions will be met within this context. There are no plans to increase the numbers serving in the Defence Forces above the levels provided for in the White Paper.