Billy Kelleher
Question:261. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Defence when the next intake for Naval Service recruits will occur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45119/15]
View answerTuesday, 15 December 2015
Questions (261)
Written answers
The Government is committed to maintaining the establishment of at least 9,500 in the Permanent Defence Force, comprising of 7,520 Army, 886 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service as stated in the 2015 White Paper on Defence.
The manpower requirement of the Defence Forces is monitored on an ongoing basis in accordance with the operational requirements of each of the three services. As there is significant turnover of personnel in the Permanent Defence Force, targeted recruitment has been and is currently taking place so as to maintain the agreed strength levels.
A recruitment competition for General Service Recruits for the Naval Service was launched on 6 March 2015. The selection process for this competition is progressing and 40 personnel have been recruited from this panel this year. It is planned that a further 40 will be recruited from the same panel on 21 December 2015.
The intake of Cadets into the Permanent Defence Force is normally carried out on an annual basis taking into consideration the operational requirements of the Defence Forces and the resource envelope allocated to Defence. 9 Naval Service Cadets were inducted on 22 September 2015 from the 2015 Cadetship competitions. Direct Entry Competitions are held as required from which specialist appointments are filled. In 2015, 5 Engine Room Artificers have been inducted into the Naval Service.
With the support of the Chief of Staff and within the resources available, it is intended to retain the capacity of the Defence Forces to operate effectively across all roles and to undertake the tasks laid down by Government both at home and overseas.