Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1326. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will provide a progress report on increases to personnel in the Army, Air Corps, Naval Service and Reserve to meet the proposals in the White Paper on Defence. [12822/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The 2015 White Paper on Defence commits to maintaining the strength of the Permanent Defence Forces 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. As at 28 February 2017 the strength of the Permanent Defence Forces stands at 9,070 (Whole Time Equivalent) i.e. 7293 Army, 701 Air Corps and 1,076 Naval Service personnel. 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. As there is significant turnover of personnel in the Permanent Defence Force, recruitment continues to take place so as to maintain the agreed strength levels. In total 590 General Service Recruits (501 Army. 89 Navy) were inducted in 2016, along with 100 Cadets between all services. To date in 2017, 106 General Service Recruits (103 Army and 3 Navy) and 10 Air Corps Trainee Military Aircraft Technicians have been inducted.

Recruitment campaigns are continuing at the present time and this year the Defence Forces are planning for the induction of 860 new entrants, the majority of whom will be drawn from 2017 Recruitment Competitions.

It is expected that the following competitions will be launched in Spring 2017: Army Cadetship, Army Equitation Cadetship, Army Engineer Cadetship, Air Corps Cadetship, Naval Service Operations Cadetship, Naval Service Marine Engineer Cadetship, Naval Service Electrical Engineer Cadetship, Air Corps Trainee Military Aircraft Technician, Army General Service Recruits, and Naval Service General Service Recruits.

The 2015 White Paper on Defence commits to maintaining the strength of the Reserve Defence Forces at 4,169 personnel, comprising of 3,869 Army Reserve and 300 Naval Service Reserve. The effective strength of the RDF as of 28 Feb 2017 stands at 1,970. It is anticipated that the next RDF recruitment campaign will commence in the second half of 2017, however, until then the RDF will continue to induct from the 2015/2016 panel, subject to the applicant satisfying all induction criteria.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1327. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the estimated costs needed to restore Defence Force personnel to the levels prior to the cuts that resulted from the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts of 2009 to 2015 and the public service stability agreement 2013-2018, the Lansdowne Road agreement. [12823/17]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1329. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the cost to the Exchequer should the 10% cut to new entrants to the military be restored. [12840/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 1327 and 1329 together.

There are various factors which would impact in calculating the estimated costings in the manner sought by the Deputy. These include the level of recruitment which varies over time and the numbers of recruits remaining in the Permanent Defence Force once recruited. As both of these are variable, I am not in a position to provide the costing in the format sought. The Deputy may wish to note that Paragraph 2.31 of that Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016 (Haddington Road Agreement) provides that in order to address the imbalance between those who entered the Public Service since 2011 and those who entered before that date, revised incremental salary scales shall be prepared for same grade entrants to each public service sector as necessary to incorporate the revision of salary scales introduced by Government Decision in January 2011.Following discussions with the Public Sector Unions the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform issued guidelines dated 30 January 2014, on merging the 01 January 2011 and 01 January 2010 (10% reduction) public service recruitment pay scales.

The new scales were effective from 1 November 2013 and applied to both existing staff on the 2010 pay scale and those who were on the 2011 pay scale.

In order to be of assistance, I attach copies of the recruitment pay scales from 1 January onwards which illustrates the movement of payscales.

NEW ENTRANTS SALARY SCALES

1.

2.

3.

4.

Note - For avoidance of doubt and for comparator purposes the 5.26% adjustor (Single Pension) has not

been applied to the Post Jan 2013 payscales