Written answers
Thursday, 14 April 2016
Department of Defence
Defence Forces Strength
Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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256. To ask the Minister for Defence the up-to-date strength of the Permanent Defence Force, by Army, by Naval Service, by Air Corps, by ranks and by gender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7105/16]
Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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257. To ask the Minister for Defence the strength of the Permanent Defence Force by Army, by Naval Service, by Air Corps and by rank at the end of each of the years 2012 to 2015. [7106/16]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 257 together.
The following tables set out the strength of the Permanent Defence Force as of 29thFebruary, 2016, the latest date for which figures are available, across all three services and ranks, broken down by gender. The figures provided are for whole time equivalent posts.
Army
| Rank | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant General | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Major General | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Brigadier General | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Colonel | 31 | 0 | 31 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | 103 | 3 | 106 |
| Commandant | 225 | 27 | 252 |
| Captain | 229 | 41 | 270 |
| Lieutenant | 157 | 28 | 185 |
| Sergeant Major | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant | 32 | 0 | 32 |
| Company Sergeant | 104 | 1 | 105 |
| Company Quartermaster Sergeant | 160 | 2 | 162 |
| Sergeant | 85 9 | 58 | 917 |
| Corporal | 1,176 | 113 | 1,289 |
| Private | 3,731 | 182 | 3,913 |
| Cadets | 27 | 2 | 29 |
| Total | 6,872 | 457 | 7,329 |
Naval Service
| Rank | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brigadier General | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Colonel | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Commandant | 44 | 6 | 50 |
| Captain | 34 | 16 | 50 |
| Lieutenant | 29 | 2 | 31 |
| Sergeant Major | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Company Sergeant | 76 | 0 | 76 |
| Company Quartermaster Sergeant | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Sergeant | 179 | 6 | 185 |
| Corporal | 130 | 8 | 138 |
| Private | 464 | 19 | 483 |
| Cadets | 12 | 3 | 15 |
| Total | 1,01 3 | 60 | 1,073 |
Air Corps
| Rank | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brigadier General | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Colonel | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Commandant | 31 | 1 | 32 |
| Captain | 51 | 7 | 58 |
| Lieutenant | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Sergeant Major | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Company Sergeant | 54 | 0 | 54 |
| Company Quartermaster Sergeant | 13 | 1 | 14 |
| Sergeant | 11 8 | 6 | 124 |
| Corporal | 138 | 9 | 147 |
| Private | 234 | 10 | 244 |
| Cadets | 25 | 0 | 25 |
| Total | 709 | 35 | 744 |
The following tables set out the strength of the Permanent Defence Force by the three services and rank at the end of each of the years 2012 to 2015
Army
| Rank | Army 2012 | Army 2013 | Army 2014 | Army 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant General | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Major General | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Brigadier General | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Colonel | 35 | 3 4 | 33 | 33 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | 109 | 108 | 104 | 106 |
| Commandant | 252 | 250 | 243 | 258 |
| Captain | 321 | 26 3 | 280 | 257 |
| Lieutenant | 241 | 257 | 219 | 183 |
| Sergeant Major | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 |
| Company Sergeant | 89 | 110 | 100 | 103 |
| Company Quartermaster Sergeant | 147 | 165 | 158 | 162 |
| Sergeant | 782 | 897 | 871 | 917 |
| Corporal | 1,383 | 1,312 | 1,396 | 1,303 |
| Private | 4,041 | 3,926 | 3,944 | 3,869 |
| Cadets | 41 | 41 | 39 | 48 |
| Total | 7,510 | 7,43 4 | 7,457 | 7,309 |
Naval Service
| Rank | Naval Service 2012 | Naval Service 2013 | Naval Service 2014 | Naval Service 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant General | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Major General | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brigadier General | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Colonel | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Commandant | 43 | 45 | 43 | 51 |
| Captain | 56 | 52 | 61 | 51 |
| Lieutenant | 47 | 47 | 34 | 32 |
| Sergeant Major | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Company Sergeant | 72 | 69 | 68 | 76 |
| Company Quartermaster Sergeant | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Sergeant | 179 | 170 | 170 | 187 |
| Corporal | 157 | 174 | 171 | 13 9 |
| Private | 443 | 408 | 454 | 488 |
| Cadets | 17 | 15 | 12 | 15 |
| Total | 1,058 | 1,02 3 | 1,057 | 1,083 |
Air Corps
| Rank | Air Corps 2012 | Air Corps 2013 | Air Corps 2014 | Air Corps 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant General | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Major General | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brigadier General | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Colonel | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | 14 | 14 | 11 | 14 |
| Commandant | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 |
| Captain | 56 | 53 | 55 | 60 |
| Lieutenant | 32 | 32 | 28 | 16 |
| Sergeant Major | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Company Sergeant | 35 | 48 | 50 | 54 |
| Company Quartermaster Sergeant | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
| Sergeant | 107 | 126 | 124 | 123 |
| Corporal | 180 | 160 | 158 | 149 |
| Private | 299 | 269 | 257 | 245 |
| Cadets | 8 | 17 | 23 | 27 |
| Total | 791 | 779 | 766 | 748 |
Strength figures from 2013 on are Whole Time Equivalents.
The Government is committed to maintaining the stabilised strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, comprising of 7,520 Army, 886 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service as stated in the 2015 White Paper on Defence.
The manpower requirement of the Defence Forces is monitored on an ongoing basis in accordance with the operational requirements of each of the three services. Personnel are posted on the basis of operational needs across the organisation both at home and abroad. As there is significant turnover of personnel in the Permanent Defence Force targeted recruitment takes place so as to maintain personnel numbers at or near the agreed strength levels.
With the support of the Chief of Staff, I am confident that we shall retain the capacity of the Defence Forces to operate effectively across all roles and to undertake the tasks assigned by Government, both at home and overseas.
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