Written answers
Tuesday, 3 April 2007
Department of Defence
Defence Forces Strength
10:00 pm
Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 645: To ask the Minister for Defence the strength of the Permanent Defence Force; the strength of the Reserve Defence Force; the number of Civil Defence volunteers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12947/07]
Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The strength of the Permanent Defence Force on 28 February 2007, the latest date for which detailed figures are available, as advised by the military authorities was 10,370. A detailed breakdown of the numbers in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps by rank are in the Tables. The Tables also provide the comparable details for the Army Reserve and the Naval Service Reserve.
The White Paper on Defence of February 2000 set out a figure of 10,500 personnel for the Permanent Defence Force, comprising 8,426 for the Army, 1,144 for the Naval Service and 930 for the Air Corps. 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 Permanent Defence Force manages recruit intakes to keep its annualised monthly average strength at or around 10,500.
The strength of the Reserve Defence Force (Second Line) was 8,929 as at 28 February 2007, the last date for which figures are available. This figure comprises 8,566 in the Army Reserve and 363 in the Naval Service Reserve. In addition, there were 375 personnel in the First Line Reserve comprising 155 Officers, 31 Non-Commissioned Officers and 189 Privates. Since May 2003, the Civil Defence Board has responsibility for the management and development of the Civil Defence organisation at national level. At local level, Civil Defence is administered by each Local/City Authority. At present there are 4,500 trained volunteers in the organisation.
Strength of the Defence Force 31 December, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||
Permanent Defence Force | |||||||||||||||||||
Lt Gen | Maj Gen | Brig Gen | Col | Lt Col | Comdt | Capt | Lt | Total Offrs | SM | BQMs | CS | CQMs | SGTs | CPLs | Total NCOs | Ptes | Cadets | Total | |
Army | 1 | 2 | 6 | 39 | 128 | 324 | 292 | 299 | 1091 | 31 | 38 | 132 | 240 | 1038 | 1532 | 3011 | 4299 | 38 | 8439 |
Air Corps | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 30 | 55 | 39 | 141 | 7 | 3 | 48 | 15 | 130 | 190 | 393 | 312 | 21 | 867 |
Naval Service | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 46 | 47 | 56 | 164 | 6 | 7 | 78 | 15 | 200 | 199 | 505 | 380 | 15 | 1,064 |
Total | 1 | 2 | 8 | 43 | 154 | 400 | 394 | 394 | 1,396 | 44 | 48 | 258 | 270 | 1,368 | 1,921 | 3,909 | 4,991 | 74 | 10,370 |
Rank titles are for Army ranks — Naval Service and Air Corps equivalent rank titles apply in the Naval Service and Air Corps respectively.
Reserve Defence Force | |||||||||||||||||||
Lt Gen | Maj Gen | Brig Gen | Col | Lt Col | Comdt | Capt | Lt | Total Offrs | SM | BQMs | CS | CQMs | SGTs | CPLs | Total NCOs | Ptes | Cadets | Total | |
Army Reserve | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 97 | 191 | 361 | 653 | 19 | 20 | 114 | 102 | 851 | 1,326 | 2,432 | 5,481 | 0 | 8,566 |
Naval Reserve | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 24 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 21 | 34 | 73 | 266 | 0 | 363 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 100 | 201 | 372 | 677 | 19 | 24 | 127 | 103 | 872 | 1,360 | 2,505 | 5,747 | 0 | 8,929 |
Rank titles are for Army ranks — Naval Service equivalent rank titles apply in the Naval Service.
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