David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 272: To ask the Minister for Defence the establishment and current strength respectively of the Permanent Defence Forces, by unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38117/10]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised by the Military authorities that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force as at 30 September 2010, the latest date for which figures are currently available, was 9,625 comprising 7,845 Army, 776 Air Corps and 1,004 Naval Service personnel. A breakdown, according to Brigade, is provided in the tabular statement overleaf. Within the context of consolidating the public finances, the Government is focused firmly on maintaining the operational efficiency of the Permanent Defence Force. Government approval was secured in the context of Budget 2010 for a level of 10,000 all ranks. This reflects the reductions in personnel recommended in the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes.

I intend, with the support of the Chief of Staff and within the resources available, to retain the capacity of the organisation to operate effectively across all roles while contributing to the necessary public service economies.