I propose to take Questions Nos. 303, 307, 310, 312 and 313 together.
The military authorities have advised that, as at 31st May 2021, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force, was 8,570 personnel comprised of:
- Army 6,954
- Air Corps 732
- Naval Service 884
The Government remains committed to returning to, and maintaining the agreed strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel as set out in the White Paper on Defence (2015). However, there are a number of factors, some of which are hard to predict, which will impact on the timeframe within which this will be achieved.
In order to achieve this target, as well as a broad range of retention measures, there is significant on-going recruitment. This will continue throughout the year and includes General Service Recruits, Cadets, Aircraft Apprentice Technicians and Direct Entry Specialists. As of 30th April 2021, 228 personnel have been inducted.
The tables below shows the wholetime equivalent strength of females in the Permanent Defence Force, by rank, as at 31st May 2021:-
Tables
*Wholetime equivalent strength, as at 31st December for 2016-2020, and as at 31st May in 2021.
The discharge figures above include personnel who left for a variety of reasons including on age grounds, at end of contract and voluntary discharges. It should also be noted that a long term average of some 25% of personnel who depart do so prior to completion of their initial training.
The capacity of the Defence Forces to undertake the tasks assigned by Government continues to be carefully monitored to ensure they retain their capacity to operate effectively across all roles and to undertake the tasks laid down by Government, both at home and abroad.