Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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321. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his recruitment plans for the Army; the procedure for applying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2459/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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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. I am advised by the Military Authorities that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force, at 30 November 2016, was 9,147, comprising 7,381 Army, 708 Air Corps and 1,058 Naval Service. These figures exclude 74 personnel who are on secondment/career break.

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. As there is significant turnover of personnel in the Permanent Defence Force targeted recruitment has been and is currently taking place so as to maintain the agreed strength levels.

It is intended that this targeted recruitment will continue during 2017, from the recruitment panels formed from the current General Service recruitment competition, launched in April 2016, until they are exhausted. Plans are being put in place to run a new General Service recruitment competition for the Army and for the Naval Service in the first quarter of 2017. Details of these competitions and application forms will be available on the Defence Forces website www.military.ie when the competitions commence. Applications for each competition will also be accepted via the Defence Forces Facebook page.

The intake of Cadets into the Permanent Defence Force is normally carried out on an annual basis, taking into consideration the operational requirements of the Defence Forces and the resource envelope allocated to Defence. It is planned to launch the 2017 Cadetship competitions in the first quarter of 2017.

Direct Entry Competitions are also held as required from which specialist appointments are filled. In this regard it is proposed to launch an Air Corps Apprentice Aircraft Technician competition during 2017.

With the support of the Chief of Staff and within the resources available, it is intended to retain the capacity of the Defence Forces to operate effectively across all roles and to undertake the tasks laid down by Government both at home and overseas.