Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2020
8. Deputy James Browne asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the strength of the Permanent Defence Forces as of 31 May 2020; the breakdown of each rank across the three services; the gender breakdown of same in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10858/20]
View answerThe table at the link shows the strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) as at 31 May 2020 broken down by rank, service and gender.
While the Government remains committed to returning to, and maintaining the agreed strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, the capacity of the Defence Forces to induct and train recruits has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 situation, which resulted in the postponement of the majority of inductions to date.
The Defence Forces remain committed to optimising the number of personnel inducted during 2020. In that context, the military authorities have advised that they are currently finalising plans to re-commence General Service training and recruitment, taking public health guidelines into account. A campaign to re-enlist former members of the Permanent Defence Force, to fill certain vacancies, is also underway.
