Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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493. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of additional recruits the Permanent Defence Force has taken on to date in 2017 with regard to all three services; the gender breakdown of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33130/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Military Authorities that a number of recruitment competitions for entry in to the Permanent Defence Force are currently underway. They include the 2017 Cadet Competition and the General Service Recruitment Campaign .

Recruitment up to 10 July 2017 totals 250 personnel. Details are set out in the following table:

With the support of the Chief of Staff, it is intended to continue to recruit new personnel in order to ensure that the Defence Forces retain the capacity to operate effectively across all roles and to undertake the tasks laid down by Government, both at home and overseas.