Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 175: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of civil servants in his Department; the reason so many civil servants are needed in view of the fact that the Defence Forces are self-regulating; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11184/08]

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

The number of civil servants currently serving in my Department is 391 (in whole time equivalents). This is a significant reduction on the numbers serving in previous years; about 700 in 1981 and about 450 in 1990. My Department has civil and military elements and was established by the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924. The Defence Acts 1954 to 2007 provide the legislative basis for the Defence Forces. The Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 assigned to the Department "the business of raising, training, organisation, maintenance, equipment, management, discipline, regulation and control according to law of the military defence forces". The Act provides that the Minister is head of the Department and is assisted in discharging his functions by the Secretary General who is the "principal officer" of the Department. The Secretary General is also the statutory Accounting Officer for all Defence expenditure.

The primary role of the civil element of the Department is the support of the Minister in his policy development and control functions. It discharges the audit and financial control tasks in connection with the Secretary General's role as Accounting Officer. It provides administrative support services to the Defence Forces including payroll, payment of accounts and administration of military pensions. Whilst routine procurement is delegated to the Defence Forces, the civil element of the Department has responsibility for major procurement such as aircraft, defensive equipment and Naval Service vessels.

Notwithstanding the overall reduction in numbers, the Department has, in recent years, taken on significant responsibilities in the context of the evolution of the European Security and Defence Policy. In addition, the Office of Emergency Planning was established as a joint civil/military office in 2001 to take the lead role in supporting and coordinating emergency planning.