asked the Minister for Defence the current strength of the Permanent Defence Force and the way in which this is broken down between the Army, Naval Services and Air Corps; and the percentage of the relative establishments this represents.

Limerick West): The strength of the Permanent Defence Force as at 31 March, 1988 was 13,226. The breakdown is as follows: Army, 11,600; Naval Service, 828; Air Corps, 798.

The percentage of establishments (rounded to nearest whole figure) is: Army, 75 per cent; Naval Service, 65 per cent; Air Corps, 65 per cent.