Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 13 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 3

Written Answers. - Defence Forces Personnel.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

36 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Defence the number of female members of the Defence Forces at each rank; his plans to encourage the increased participation of women in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4690/02]

57.Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Defence the number of personnel within the Air Corps at each rank; the number of vacancies; his plans to fill these vacancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4659/02]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

71 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence his plans to increase personnel numbers in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4798/02]

Michael Bell

Question:

81 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Defence the number of personnel within the Naval Service at each rank; the number of vacancies; his plans to fill these vacancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4658/02]

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

82 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Defence the number of personnel within each of the sections of the Defence Forces; the numbers recruited in each of past three years; the number who left in each of these years; his plans for further recruitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4657/02]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith):

I propose to take Questions Nos. 36, 57, 71, 81 and 82 together.

The statistics requested by the Deputies are as outlined in the tabular statements.

Strength of the Defence Forces as at 31 December, 2001.

	Officers	NCO's	Privates	Cadets	Total
Army	1,015	3,159	4,561	77	8,812
Air Corps	126	379	389	18	912
Naval Service	120	426	393	12	951
Total	1,261	3,964	5,343	107	10,675

Number of Personnel Recruited to and Discharged from the Defence Forces in the last Three Years

	1999	2000	2001
Recruited	712	770	1,017
Discharged	996	1,053	1,064

Strength verus Establishment of the Army

31 December, 2001

	LtGen	MajGen	BrigGen	Col	LtCol	Comdt	Capt	Lt	TotalOffrs	SM	BQMS	CS	CQMS	SGTS	CPLS	TotalNCOS	PTES	Cadets	Total
Establishment	1	2	5	26	93	272	450	226	1,076	34	37	139	251	1,118	1,802	3,381	5,031	0	9,487
Strength	1	2	7	33	112	365	300	195	1,015	32	41	141	232	1,050	1,663	3,159	4,561	77	8,812
Vacancies	0	0	-2	-7	-19	-93	150	31	60	2	-4	-2	19	68	139	222	470	-77	675

Strength versus Establishment of the Army

31 December, 2001

	Comm	Capt(NS)	Comdr	LtComdr	Lt(NS)	Sub-Lt	TotalOffrs	Wo	SCPO	CPO	SPO	PO	L/S	TotalNCOS	Seamen	Cadets	Total
Establishment	1	2	13	47	85	41	189	6	7	78	15	235	196	537	418	0	1,144
Strength	1	2	13	35	22	47	120	8	6	68	15	174	155	426	393	12	951
Vacancies	0	0	0	12	63	-6	69	-2	1	10	0	61	41	111	25	-12	193

Strength versus Establishment of the Army

31 December, 2001

	LtGen	MajGen	BrigGen	Col	LtCol	Comdt	Capt	Lt	TotalOffrs	SM	BQMS	CS	CQMS	SGTS	CPLS	TotalNCOS	PTES	Cadets	Total
Establishment	0	0	1	2	14	38	70	48	173	8	4	59	15	143	199	428	329	0	930
Strength	0	0	1	2	12	32	26	53	126	7	4	41	12	111	204	379	389	18	912
Vacancies	0	0	0	0	2	6	44	-5	47	1	0	18	3	32	-5	49	-60	-18	18

Strength of Female Personnel in the Permanent Defence Force

31 December, 2001

Comdt.	Capt.	Lt	2/Lt	TotalOfficers	CS.	CQMS	Sgt.	Cpl.	TotalNCOS	Pte.	Recruit	Apprentice	Cadet	TotalAll Ranks
13	32	19	15	79	2	1	12	60	75	258	29	1	17	459

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. In addition the chief of staff has discretion to have 250 recruits in training at any given time, over and above this figure of 10,500.

It is my intention to maintain the established Government policy of continuous recruitment to the Defence Forces in the year 2002 to fill vacancies as required. I launched the Defence Forces 2002 general service recruiting campaign yesterday and this will be followed by national and local media advertising.

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 five feet, four inches.