Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 27 Jun 2000

Vol. 522 No. 2

Written Answers. - Defence Forces Recruitment.

Michael Ring

Question:

133 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Defence the plans if any, he has to recruit people for the Army bands; the recruitment which has taken place over the last five years; the number of band members that have left in the last five years; if they were replaced; the total number of people currently employed in Army bands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17945/00]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith)

There has been no recruitment to Army bands in the last five years. However, a competition for the recruitment of 22 various instrumentalists to the Defence Forces School of Music will be advertised shortly. All the successful candidates will be posted to the bands of 1 Southern Brigade and 4 Western Brigade. The number of enlisted personnel discharged in each of the last five years is:

1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000 to date
7	15	14	8	5	5

In the context of the re-organisation of the Defence Forces, I approved a proposal from the military authorities that the military band at the Curragh should be amalgamated with the band of the Eastern Brigade, the Army No. 1 Band. The amalgamation of these two bands does not involve any reduction in the overall numbers of musicians within the School of Music as already provided for within the Defence Forces review implementation plan approved by the previous Government. Under the previous organisation of the Defence Forces, each Army Command – of which there were four, namely the Eastern, Curragh, Southern and Western Commands – had a military band. In the new organisational structure, these four Commands were replaced by three brigades. Each of these three brigades, Eastern, Southern and Western, has a band as part of its organisation, with the band of the former Curragh Command being now amalgamated with the band of the Eastern Brigade.

The military authorities are of the opinion that this new organisation of the School of Music will allow all of the Army bands to function to their full potential.

The eventual deployment of personnel of the Army School of Music as envisaged under the revised structure will be as follows:

Army No. 1 Band, Eastern Brigade (including Band of former Curragh Command)	45
Southern Brigade	41
Western Brigade	41
HQ Administration	9
Total	136

The current strengths of the various bands continue to reflect the ‘pre-amalgamation' structure, pending finalisation of administrative changes arising from the re-organisation. These strengths are currently as follows:

Army No. 1 Band (Eastern Brigade)	34 all ranks
Band, 1 Southern Brigade	29 all ranks
Band, 4 Western Brigade	26 all ranks
Band, Defence Forces Training
Centre (previously Curragh Command)	26 all ranks
HQ School of Music	10 all ranks
Total	125