Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 28 Mar 2001

Vol. 533 No. 4

Written Answers. - Defence Forces Strength.

Jan O'Sullivan

Question:

41 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Defence the number of officers and other ranks in respect of the Army, the Naval Service and the Air Corps; the number in each case who are female; the steps being taken to provide a better gender balance in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9001/01]

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

65 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Defence the number of officers and other ranks who have left the Army, the Naval Service and the Air Corps during the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9003/01]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

94 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence if he intends to increase the strength of the Air Corps over the next three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9251/01]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

96 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence if he has any proposals to increase the strength of the Army; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9253/01]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

97 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the current strength, male and female, of the Army, Naval Service and the Air Corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9254/01]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 65, 94, 96 and 97 together.

Details of the strength of the Defence Forces at 31 December 2000, both male and female, and the number of personnel who have left the Defence Forces in the year 2000 is shown in tabular statements which I propose to circulate with the Official Report. The statistical information is the latest available from the military authorities.

The Government has now considered the final report from Price Waterhouse. It agrees in principle to the proposal that the State's future sea and air support requirements be discharged by the Naval Service and the Air Corps, on the basis of an appropriate mix of multitasking-multi-capabilities and dedicated services, and that Government decision-making on equipping and staffing of the Naval Service and the Air Corps should be made accordingly. The manpower levels of the Air Corps and Naval Service as provided for in the White Paper are in accordance with the report's recommendations.

The White Paper sets out a figure of 10,500 personnel for the Permanent Defence Force, comprising 930 for the Air Corps, 1,144 for the Naval Service and 8,426 for the Army. It is my intention to maintain the established Government policy of continuous recruitment to fill vacancies as required. I am satisfied that a vigorous continuance of this policy will ensure the maintenance of proper strengths at agreed levels in the Permanent Defence Force. It is proposed to enlist about 800 personnel in the Permanent Defence Force from the 2001 recruitment campaign.

The annual cadetship competition was advertised recently and it is proposed to offer 68 cadetships in the current year of which 12 will be Air Corps cadetships, 42 Army and 12 Naval Service. Last January 15 personnel were enlisted as apprentices in the Air Corps. A competition is currently being held for 40 additional Air Corps apprenticeships.

In addition, 40 Army cadets, eight Air Corps cadets, eight Naval Service cadets and nine non commissioned officers are due to be commissioned later this year. Competitions for the appointment of direct entry officers to fill vacancies for medical officers, marine engineers, Army engineers, electrical artificers, instrumentalists and watchkeeping officers will continue throughout 2001. At present a proposal for the intake of a number of aeronautical engineers is being examined.

Women are eligible for service in the Army, Air Corps, Naval Service and in the Reserve Defence Force and to compete for all appointments on an equal basis and under the same general conditions as those which apply to men. All female personnel undergo the same training and receive the same military education as their male counterparts.

In order to encourage increased participation by women in the Defence Forces, I decided in March 1998 to reduce the height requirement for all female recruits to 5 4. In previous years the trend for general service recruitment has been that 16% of all applicants have been female and on average 16% of enlistments have been female. It is obviously not possible to predict what the relevant percentages will be in any future intakes of recruits but there is no reason to assume that this pattern will change to any great degree.

Strength of the Defence Forces at 31 December 2000

Rank	Number
Lieutenant-General	1
Major-General	2
Brigadier-General	9
Colonel	39
Lieutenant Colonel	133
Commandant	437
Captain	367
Lieutenants-Second Lieutenant	274

Total Officers

1,262

Sergeant-Major

46

Battalion Quartermaster-Sergeant

51

Company Sergeant

249

Company Quartermaster-Sergeant

255

Sergeant

1,310

Corporal

2,108

Private

5,337

Cadet

103

Total Non Commissioned Personnel

9,459

Grand Total All Ranks

10,721