Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 218: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of new recruits in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps in each of the past three years; the number who have retired in the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38394/10]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The number of recruits enlisted in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps in each of the last three years are as follows:

Recruitment to the Permanent Defence Force was suspended in late 2008 pending a review of the best means by which to achieve the reduction of 3% in payroll costs that had been applied, in common with other areas of the public service, to the Defence Forces. On foot of the Government Decision on Public Service numbers, which took effect from 27 March 2009, no post in the Defence Forces, however arising, could be filled by recruitment, promotion or payment of an allowance for the performance of duties of a higher grade.

The present position is that 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.

Targeted recruitment is being carried out in 2010 in order to maintain the operational capability of the Defence Forces. To this end I approved the recruitment of 40 Recruits to the Naval Service, limited recruitment to the Army and the intake of 30 Cadets from the Cadetship Competition 2010 which closed on the 28th July 2010.

The number of general service enlisted personnel who left the Permanent Defence Force from 2007 to the end of September 2010 are as follows:

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.