Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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64. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the strength in whole-time equivalent terms of the Permanent Defence Force with regard to all three services and all ranks in tabular form. [44405/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The table below sets out the current strength (as of 30 September 2018) in whole time equivalent of the PDF across all services and ranks.

The Government remains committed to returning to, and maintaining the agreed strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel as set out in the White Paper on Defence (2015).

In order to achieve this target, there are significant recruitment opportunities available in the Permanent Defence Force, at both enlisted and officer level, for eligible individuals who wish to have a rewarding and positive career in service to the State. The Permanent Defence Force continues to offer excellent career opportunities for serving personnel and for new entrants. Two general service recruitment campaigns, an officer cadetships competition, a competition for Air Corps apprentices, a competition for DF School of Music instrumentalists and the 2018 RDF recruitment campaigns all took place this year.

Recruits from the first general service recruitment campaign held earlier this year are being inducted between September and end November. The 95th Cadet Class of 85 recruits was inducted on the 24th September.

A second general service recruitment campaign was launched on 10 September 2018 and closed on 7 October 2018.

Final figures for numbers enlisted in 2018 will not be available until after year's end. As of 25 September 2018, 414 personnel have been inducted in 2018 and inductions will continue for the rest of the year. The bulk of inductions are weighted towards the second half of the year. Recruitment progress will be reviewed at year end and this will also inform the approach in 2019.