Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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98. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of additional recruits the Permanent Defence Force has taken on to date in 2018 with regard to all three services; the gender breakdown of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53705/18]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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99. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of additional recruits the Reserve Defence Force has taken on to date in 2018 with regard to all services; the gender breakdown of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53706/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 98 and 99 together.

Recruitment to the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) continued throughout 2018. This encompassed two General Service recruit competitions, a Cadet competition, apprentice competition, instrumentalist competition and direct entry streams.

The most recent figures (as of 30 November 2018), provided by the military authorities, give the whole time equivalent strength of the PDF as 9,022 personnel. Final figures for numbers inducted in 2018 and strength will not be available until year end. I recently met with senior civil and military officials to review recruitment plans for 2019. Subject to further consideration, it is envisaged that similar recruitment competitions to those held this year will take place in 2019.

As of 18 December 2018, 610 personnel were inducted to the PDF as follows:

- 492 General Service Recruits (32 female)

- 20 Air Corps Apprentices

- 19 (7 female) School of Music Instrumentalists

- 73 Cadets (11 Female)

- 6 Direct Entry Officers

The White Paper on Defence provides for a combined establishment of 4,169 personnel for the Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve (this is inclusive of the proposal to increase the Naval Service Reserve establishment from 200 to 300 personnel). The current establishment of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) is 4,069.

Given the competing recruitment demands at present, where PDF recruitment is and should remain a priority, recruitment to the RDF is continuing. A total of 128 new recruits (14 female) were inducted into the RDF in 2018 (as of 18 December 2018). It is intended to have a further recruitment campaign to the RDF in 2019, although the details have yet to be finalised.