Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 201: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of jobs his Department claimed will be created as part of published policy papers, reports and documents commissioned by or compiled by his Department between 2010 and 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20906/10]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I am not aware the Department has not claimed that new jobs will be created on the basis set out by the Deputy. The White Paper on Defence (2000) set out a strength of 10,500 personnel for the Permanent Defence Force.

Within the available resources, the Department of Defence is committed to maintaining the strength of the Defence Forces at a level of 10,000 all ranks, for which Government approval was secured in the context of Budget 2010. This reflects the reductions in personnel recommended in the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes.

The strength of the Permanent Defence Force as at 31 March, 2010 was 9,877, comprising 8,051 Army, 800 Air Corps and 1,026 Naval Service personnel. As the numbers in the Permanent Defence Force have dropped below 10,000, recruitment will be conducted in 2010 in order to bring the numbers back to this level.