Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

746. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will report on the number of personnel now recruited to the Defence Forces; and the strength of the Reserve. [40677/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government is committed to maintaining the stabilised strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel; comprising 7,520 Army, 886 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service personnel, as set out in the White Paper on Defence. As there is significant turnover of personnel, targeted recruitment has been and is taking place. In that regard, 449 personnel joined the Permanent Defence Force between 1 January 2017 and 30 September 2017. This includes 99 Cadets inducted in September.

It is anticipated that 800 personnel will have been inducted into the Permanent Defence Force by the end of 2017 . This includes general service recruits, apprentices, cadets and direct entry officers. A new recruitment campaign is under way with a closing date of 27 October 2017. This will provide a panel from which recruits will be drawn in 2018.

The current effective strength (as of 31 August 2017) of the Army Reserve (AR) and Naval Service Reserve (NSR) is set out in the table:

98 personnel have been inducted to the AR and NSR to date this year(30 September 2017) as follows:

- 82 Army Reserve

- 16 Naval Service Reserve

I remain committed to increasing recruitment to both the PDF , the AR and NSR. In the context of both finite resources and personnel, it is necessary to strike an appropriate balance in terms of PDF and RDF recruitment, to deliver the desired effects of maintaining the capacity of the Defence Forces to undertake all roles assigned to it by Government.