Written answers

Wednesday, 20 January 2010

Department of Defence

Departmental Staff

9:00 pm

Photo of Michael D'ArcyMichael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of staff, per grade, within his Department; if the number of staff in his Department is comparable with defence ministries in states with similar sized defence forces; the reason that, following the downsizing of numbers in the Defence Force, a proportionate reduction in the numbers in his Department did not take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2127/10]

Photo of Willie O'DeaWillie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy seems to have tabled the latter part of this question on the basis of a mistaken assumption. In fact, as part of the overall modernisation of Defence, the number of civil servants in my Department has reduced significantly and, overall, at a slightly faster rate than the reduction in military personnel. The record in Defence is quite different to the trend elsewhere in the civil service. Both the civil service and military elements of the Defence organisation have now achieved the strength levels recommended by the McCarthy report.

Overall, as I have said before, the modernisation of the Defence organisation is a public service success story. The structure and organisation of my Department and of the Permanent Defence Force has delivered significant reform and productivity gains over time. The civil servants of the Department of Defence continue to make a very significant contribution to this success story.

In their report, the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes, acknowledged the ongoing reform in the Defence Organisation. That report recommended a further reduction in numbers in both the number of civil servants and Defence Force personnel over a period of two to three years. As I have already said, this reduction has in fact already been achieved.

In 1981 employment in Defence totalled 18,063 comprising 15,201 in the PDF, 2,163 civilians employed in barracks and 699 civil servants in the Department of Defence. In 2009 employment reached 11,300 comprising 10,100 in the PDF, 820 civilians employed in barracks and 380 civil servants employed in the Department of Defence.

There are currently 344 civil servants in my Department and 270 military personnel in Defence Forces Headquarters. The details are in a tabular statement.

The structures currently in place were the subject of extensive review and re-organisation both before and during the drafting of the White Paper. Since then, the Defence Organisation has delivered successfully on a programme of public sector reform.

The significant improvements over recent years have engendered a culture of continuous improvement within the Defence Organisation and I am confident that where change is required, it will be quickly identified and implemented. I would like to reassure the Deputy that I remain committed to ensuring that the delivery of services by the Defence Organisation is as efficient and effective as possible.

Because structures, roles, taskings and legal allocation of responsibilities vary so widely between countries, international comparisons are difficult and potentially misleading. That said, to the extent that comparison can be made, it appears that the Irish Defence organisation employs considerably fewer civil servants than elsewhere. However, this does not necessarily mean that our organisation is inappropriate to our circumstances.

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