Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 May 2024
8. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the degree to which the strength of the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps continues to be enhanced, with particular reference to their ability to respond to emergencies, if and when they arise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22092/24]
View answerAs of the 31 March 2024 the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,510 personnel. This was comprised of 6,087 Army, 701 Air Corps and 722 Naval Service personnel. The agreed overall establishment strength was recently increased by 100 to 9,600 to account for the first cohort of Commission on the Defence Forces (CODF) appointments.
Whilst recruitment and retention challenges have been acknowledged, a range of measures have been introduced by this Government to address these and make the Defence Forces an attractive option as a career choice. To this end, there is provision, contained in the €1.23 billion allocated for the Defence Sector in Budget 2024, for the recruitment and training of a net additional 400 personnel in 2024.
Recruitment continues with ongoing general service and direct entry recruitment in addition to the re-entry schemes. The 2024 Military Aircraft Technician traineeship is open for applications while the 2024 Army and Air Corp cadetship competitions have closed recently with the Naval Service competition due to close shortly.
In addition to the other recruitment measures that I outlined in an earlier reply today, the Defence Forces have engaged marketing and media expertise and the 'Be More' recruitment campaign highlights the opportunity to continuously improve and learn new skills with a career in the Defence Forces. The establishment of the Joint Induction Training Centre in Gormanston will, when fully operational, increase the training capacity for recruits. I also mentioned earlier, the wide range of retention measures, financial and non-financial, that have been introduced.
My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Defence Forces is maintained to enable them carry out their roles as assigned by Government. In accordance with the Framework for Major Emergency Management, primary responsibility for responding to emergencies, including security events, rests with the three designated principal response agencies, namely, the relevant Local Authority, An Garda Síochána, and the Health Service Executive. In the event of an emergency, the Defence Forces provide the fullest possible assistance to the appropriate Lead Department in the Aid to the Civil Authority role.
At national level, representation on the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning, by both the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces, ensures the fullest coordination and cooperation in the event of an emergency and that the command structure within the Defence Forces is compatible with the requirements in this area.
