Vol. 485 No. 3
16 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Defence his views on the Chief of Staff's recent statement to the PDFORRA annual delegate conference that the military police element in Government Buildings can only be retained if the overall Defence Forces' approved number of 11,500 is increased by the number in the element; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18165/97]
In July 1995, the Government accepted the broad conclusions of the Efficiency Audit Group that a phased programme of reorganisation of the Defence Forces should begin immediately. As part of that reorganisation, the Government set an overall objective of reducing Defence Forces strength to 11,500 by the end of 1988. The implementation plan for the phase one of the reorganisation of the Defence Forces, adopted by the Government in March 1996, was drawn up on the basis that no barrack closures would take place during that phase.
The question of changing the strength of the Permanent Defence Force is a matter for the Government and there are no proposals to revise this strength, at this time. A review of the military police presence at Government Buildings is at present being undertaken by the inter-departmental national security group.
