Eamon Gilmore
Ceist:43 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Defence when the promised updated Defence Forces personnel management plan will be produced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17483/00]
Written Answers. - Defence Forces Strength.
Liz McManus
Ceist:53 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Defence the plans he has to deal with the shortage of specialist personnel within the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17492/00]
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:55 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which optimum strength of the Defence Forces has been determined and-or achieved; the number of recruits likely to be needed in each of the next five years, based on retirements and resignations over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17584/00]
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:113 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the plans or proposals if any he has to substantially increase the strength of the Defence Forces at both air, sea and land levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17760/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 43, 53, 55 and 113 together.
The recently published White Paper on Defence provided for the drafting of an integrated personnel management plan as a matter of priority. Of necessity this will require that a number of diverse issues be examined fully by the military authorities and my Department. Therefore, it would not be practical to put a specific time frame on the finalisation of the plan. Preliminary work has already begun. I envisage that the production of the plan will require a major effort by the civil and military branches of my Department in consultation, where appropriate, with the representative associations.
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 Force personnel and the induction of suitably qualified personnel through direct entry competitions.
In addition, a number of suitably qualified non-commissioned personnel have been commissioned as air traffic control officers, as naval service electrical engineer officers and as officers working in the information technology area of the Defence Forces.
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. The White Paper provides for manpower levels of 930 for the Air Corps, 1,144 for the Naval Service and 8,426 for the Army. It is my intention to maintain the now established Government policy of continuous recruitment to fill vacancies as required. I am satisfied that a vigorous continuance of this policy will ensure the maintenance of proper strengths at agreed levels in the Defence Forces. The general service recruitment campaign for the year 2000 was launched in early April and is now well under way. It is proposed to enlist 750 personnel in the Permanent Defence Force from the campaign this year. The annual cadetship competition was advertised at the start of the year and it is proposed to offer 60 cadetships in the current year.
The Defence Forces review implementation plan provided for special studies to be carried out on the Naval Service and the Air Corps and Price Waterhouse management consultants were engaged to conduct such a review.
The Government has now considered the final report from Price Waterhouse and have agreed in principle to the proposal that the State's future sea and air support requirements be discharged by the Naval Service and the Air Corps, on the basis of an appropriate mix of multi-tasking or multi-capabilities and dedicated services, and that Government decision-making on equipping and staffing of the Naval Service and the Air Corps should be made accordingly. The manpower levels of the Air Corps and Naval Service as provided for in the White Paper are in accordance with the report's recommendations.
The implementation plans for both services, which will give effect to the recommendations of the consultants' report, have now been completed and the process of implementation will commence in consultation with the representative associations.