Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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109. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the funding allocated to recruitment in the Defence Forces over each of the past five years; the annual number of recruits over the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8266/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The military authorities have advised that their recruitment funding allocation amounted to approximately €95,000 each year over the past 5 years.  This forms part of the broader recruitment and Public Relations (PR) efforts.  PR for the Defence Forces, by its nature, whilst geared towards communicating the roles of the Defence Forces and activities undertaken, also highlights the attractiveness of the Permanent Defence Force as a career and opportunities for service in the Reserve Defence Force.

The military authorities have also provided the following information on the number of General Service inductions to the Permanent Defence Force (not including Cadets or Apprentices) from 2013 to 2017:

General Service Inductions

Please note that the expenditure figure for each year includes recruitment costs as well as associated PR costs.

I can confirm that further recruitment will take place in 2018 and plans for this are currently under discussion between civil and military management.

I remain committed to maximising the recruitment of required personnel to ensure the Defence Forces retain the capacity to operate effectively across all roles.