Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of personnel the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps respectively, intend to hire in 2012; the estimated total number of personnel Army, Navy and Air Corps intend to hire by the end of 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24568/12]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 25: To ask the Minister for Defence the current recruitment process for 500 new Defence Forces personnel; the number of these new personnel that will be allocated across the Army, Navy and Air Corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24404/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 25 together.

The Government has decided to accept my recommendation that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force will be maintained at 9,500. I believe that this is the optimum strength required to fulfil all roles currently assigned by Government.

The Military Authorities have advised that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 30 April, 2012 the latest date for which details are available, was 8,885 comprising 7,181 Army, 759 Air Corps and 945 Naval Service.

As the Permanent Defence Force is currently below the agreed serving cadre there will be an intake in 2012, of approximately 600 personnel, consisting primarily of the phased recruitment of General Service Recruits and an intake of 42 Cadets.

All such recruitment will be achieved within the resource envelope allocated to Defence so as to maintain the Government approved strength of the Permanent Defence Force of 9,500.

There is no decision at this point as to the allocation of new personnel from the current recruitment competition, the closing date of which was 22 April 2012. Ultimately the deployment of these personnel will be in line with operational requirements. It is planned to assign recruits to the Army and Naval Service, as currently there are no general service vacancies in the Air Corps.