Vol. 496 No. 4
138 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the numbers serving in the Defence Forces; the shortages of staff in key specialist areas; his future recruitment strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23132/98]
The strength of the Permanent Defence Force on 31 August 1998, the latest date for which figures are available, was 11,701.
The requirement for specialist personnel in the Defence Forces is met through a combination of the training and education of newly recruited and serving Defence Forces personnel and the induction of suitably qualified personnel through direct entry competitions.
In addition, a number of suitably qualified non-commissioned personnel have recently been commissioned as air traffic control officers and it is proposed to commission suitably qualified non-commissioned personnel to serve in the information technology area shortly.
I propose to maintain a policy of continuous recruitment to fill vacancies as required.
