Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 October 2023
160. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the current establishment figure of the Naval Service and that proposed under Level of Ambition 2 of the Report on the Commission of the Defence Forces; the current strength of the Naval Service; the current strength of the naval fleet and if he will report on the fleet replacement programme. [42851/23]
View answerThe establishment of the Naval Service is 1,094 personnel and the strength, as at 31 August 2023, was 755 personnel.
Government has approved a move, over a six-year period, to a level of Permanent Defence Force capability equivalent to Level of Ambition 2, as set out in the report of the Commission of the Defence Forces Report, with an overall establishment figure of 11,500. The distribution of these additional personnel has yet to be finalised. The current establishment of the Defence Forces was recently increased to 9,589 in order to expedite implementation of the report through the creation of 89 additional promotional opportunities.
I have previously acknowledged the current staffing difficulties in the Naval Service and, to counter these, there are a number of recruitment and retention measures currently underway.
The Naval Service has recently adopted a three ship operational posture with two ships operational and one on standby, in order to streamline operations, bolster existing capabilities, and ensure optimal resource allocation in the Naval Service. The Naval Service continues to carry out the roles assigned by Government, including fishery protection and maritime surveillance operations.
My immediate focus is on stabilising the numbers of personnel, and to facilitate capacity for further increases. This will enable us to align ultimately with the level of ambition recommended in the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, and agreed by Government.
