O'Dea committed to defence numbers

The Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea has said he is committed to maintaining a 10,000 strong defence force despite fears from serving personnel that numbers will drop significantly below that figure this year.

PDFORRA, the association representing soldiers, sailors and aircrew of the Defence Forces, said payroll cuts of €46.81 million, as outlined, in the budget could only be achieved by further cuts in personnel of the order of 300.

PDFORRA general secretary Gerry Rooney said the Government had already achieved its target of cutting the defence forces from 10,500 to 10,000 because of the number of serving soldiers who have left this year and had been replaced because of the recruitment embargo.

The McCarthy report had urged that the defence forces be reduced to 10,000 over the space of three years.

Mr Rooney said PDFORRA feared that the Government had factored several hundred more leaving this year who would not be replaced.

“PDFORRA is concerned that if monies to meet a payroll of 10,000 are not in place then further cuts are inevitable and unacceptable.” he said.

“PDFORRA are calling on the Minister for Defence to re-affirm Government policy that Defence Forces strength will be 10,000 and provide the funding necessary for this.

“Any other action by Government will be a slight on the members of the Defence Forces who have endured pay cuts, number reductions and provided improved service — most recently during the severe winter weather conditions”.

In response Mr O’Dea said that he was committed to maintaining the strength of the permanent defence forces at a level of 10,000 personnel and had approval for that figure in Budget 2010.

He said the payroll adjustment figure in the defence estimate was a provisional figure and he was confident that the final allocation which will be announced next month will be sufficient to bring the strength of the defence forces up to 10,000.

He also expected to be in a position to announce recruitment to the Defence Forces in the near future.

At present there are 9,935 permanent serving members of the defence forces.