Vol. 516 No. 6
206 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the new target figures, male and female, as compared to current strength in respect of membership of the Army, the Naval Service and the Air Corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9153/00]
The White Paper sets out a figure of 10,500 personnel for the Permanent Defence Force. 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. New structures for the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps will be formalised in an implementation plan in due course.
There are no target figures in respect of relative levels of gender representation in either the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force. Recruitment is completely open to both male and female applicants, subject to their satisfying the appropriate eligibility criteria.
I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force at end December 1999 stood at 10,924, of whom 423 were women.
|
Army |
NavalService |
AirCorps |
|
|
Total |
9,065 |
990 |
869 |
|
Of which women |
357 |
43 |
23 |
