Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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Question 390: To ask the Minister for Defence the details of any organisation under his Department which have informed him of staffing difficulties which may impinge upon its ability to effectively oversee the spending of public funds; and his views regarding same. [28367/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am satisfied that the Department of Defence and its agencies are sufficiently resourced to allow for the effective oversight of the expenditure of public funds.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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Question 391: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will outline the organisations under his Department for which an employment control framework has been agreed; the current numbers they have in place; if they have been waiting more than one month to receive sanction to proceed to fill or retain any positions in spite of such positions falling below the agreed ECF ceiling. [28383/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Government's National Recovery Plan 2011-2014 sets out revised ceilings for public service staff numbers, including for the Department of Defence and the Permanent Defence Force, which are to be achieved through the implementation of Employment Control Frameworks as part of the Four Year National Recovery Plan. The Department of Defence is required to meet an authorised staffing level of 369 for 2011. The Department has met this target, with a current staffing level of 349.

In relation to the civilian employee work force attached to military installations, the authorised Employment Control Framework ceiling for 2011 is 700 posts, with a target of 670 posts in 2012. There are currently 684 civilian employees which is under the ECF target for 2011, and significant progress has been made towards achieving the authorised figure for 2012.

The approved Employment Control Framework for the Permanent Defence Force is based on a figure of 10,000 all ranks, appropriately configured across the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps. The strength of the Permanent Defence Force as of 30 September 2011 was 9,458 all ranks. Officials from my Department together with the Military Authorities are in the process of reviewing the structures and posts required to meet the operational requirements of the Permanent Defence Force in accordance with the upper limits in ranks provided for in the ECF subject to a final decision on the estimates for Defence.

In this regard the Government is currently undertaking a Comprehensive Review of Expenditure and this will inform the resource envelope available for Defence over the coming years and the priorities within Defence. My officials are in regular contact with their counterparts in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, where appropriate, on an ongoing basis regarding sanction to proceed to fill or retain posts.