Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:18 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence his plans to increase the strength of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13879/02]
Other Questions. - Defences Forces Strength.
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:48 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which it is proposed to increase the strength of the Air Corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14072/02]
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:49 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which it is proposed to increase the strength of the Army; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14073/02]
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:50 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which it is proposed to increase the strength of the Naval Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14074/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 48, 49 and 50 together.
The strength of the Defence Forces by service as at 31 May 2002 was as follows: Army – 8,669, Air Corps – 917 and Naval Service – 975. A more detailed breakdown of these figures by rank category is provided in the tabular statements which I propose to circulate in the Official Report.
The White Paper sets out a figure of 10,500 personnel for the Permanent Defence Force, comprising 930 for the Air Corps, 1,144 for the Naval Service and 8,426 for the Army. 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.
It is my intention to maintain the established Government policy of continuous recruitment to the Defence Forces in the year 2002 to fill vacancies as required. I launched the Defence Forces 2002 general service recruiting campaign last February which has been followed by national and local media advertising.
Additional InformationStrength of the Defence Forces as at 31 May 2002.
|
Officers |
NCOs |
Privates |
Cadets |
Total |
|
|
Army |
987 |
3,149 |
4,455 |
78 |
8,669 |
|
Air Corps |
129 |
378 |
393 |
17 |
917 |
|
Naval Service |
124 |
426 |
413 |
12 |
975 |
|
Total |
1,240 |
3,953 |
5,261 |
107 |
10,561 |
Strength of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service as at 31 May 2002.
|
Lt.Gen |
MajGen |
BrigGen |
Col. |
Lt.Col |
Comdt |
Capt. |
Lt. |
TotalOffs. |
SM |
BQMS |
CS |
CQMS |
Sgts |
Cpls |
TotalNCOs |
Ptes |
Cadets |
Total |
|
|
Army |
1 |
3 |
7 |
35 |
115 |
364 |
273 |
189 |
987 |
33 |
38 |
144 |
242 |
1,030 |
1,662 |
3,149 |
4,455 |
78 |
8,669 |
|
Air Corps |
1 |
2 |
13 |
26 |
29 |
58 |
129 |
7 |
2 |
48 |
14 |
112 |
195 |
378 |
393 |
17 |
917 |
||
|
NavalService |
1 |
2 |
12 |
35 |
22 |
52 |
124 |
7 |
7 |
72 |
15 |
193 |
132 |
426 |
413 |
12 |
975 |
I understand the combined total of the various elements of the Defence Forces is 10,500 as the Minister has stated. Given the increased demands on the Defence Forces at home as well as their international obligations, is the Minister satisfied this level of personnel is sufficient to meet the demands? The total is much lower now than the figure of 13,000 or 14,000 in recent years. In this context, I ask the Minister if there are plans to initiate a new recruitment campaign to increase the numbers?
I had a torrid experience some years ago trying to get agreement on numbers in the Defence Forces which were then enshrined in the White Paper. A stop-go situation had existed whereby recruitment was carried out in some years but not in others and humps were created in the service over time. We wanted to have the clear-cut position of having 10,500 personnel in total with the discretion of 250 in training. The savings accruing from the reduction in numbers were to be primarily used for equipping and updating the equipment of the Defence Forces so we had a professional, highly qualified and motivated force which was smaller in number but better equipped and better able to undertake functions as required by the Government at home or on UN-mandated missions abroad. I am afraid that, having gone through that trauma and taken the rap at the time and having developed a firm and definite position for the future, I am not of a mind to look for additional resources and revisit that process. The complement is consistent and solid.