Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1474. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of full-time equivalent Defence Forces personnel for each of the years 2008 to 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20129/17]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1475. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces personnel part-time and full-time on the payroll of his Department for each of the years 2008 to 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20130/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1474 and 1475 together.

I am informed by the military authorities that the Defence Forces’ personnel management system captures both the strength of personnel and the whole time equivalent of personnel serving in the organisation.Whole Time Equivalent (WTE), as recorded by the Defence Forces, is equal to the Total Strength, minus personnel on Leave of Absence and Secondment. The table below shows the Whole Time Equivalent number of personnel serving in the Defence Forces on 31 December of each year in question, together with the Total Strength (where applicable):

** Note: Collection of Whole Time Equivalent data for the Defence Forces began in January 2013. This data is not available prior to that date. Pre-2013 figures represent total strength).

The manpower requirements of the Permanent Defence Force are 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 a significant turnover of personnel in the Defence Forces, targeted recruitment takes places on a regular basis so as to maintain personnel numbers at or near the agreed strength levels.

In terms of overall strengths the Government is committed to maintaining the stabilised strength of the PDF 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.