99. Deputy Áine Collins asked the Minister for Defence when he will open applications for cadets to the Naval Service. [3400/16]

The Government is committed to maintaining the establishment of at least 9,500 in the Permanent Defence Force, comprising of 7,520 Army, 886 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service as stated in the 2015 White Paper on Defence. The manpower requirement of the Defence Forces is monitored on an ongoing basis in accordance with the operational requirements of each of the three services. As there is significant turnover of personnel in the Permanent Defence Force, targeted recruitment has been and is currently taking place so as to maintain the agreed strength levels.

The intake of Cadets into the Permanent Defence Force is normally carried out on an annual basis taking into consideration the operational requirements of the Defence Forces and the resource envelope allocated to Defence. 9 Naval Service Cadets were inducted on 22 September 2015 from the 2015 Cadetship competitions. The Military Authorities advise that a competition for Naval Service Cadetships will be advertised in Q1 2016.

With the support of the Chief of Staff and within the resources available, it is intended to retain the capacity of the Defence Forces to operate effectively across all roles and to undertake the tasks laid down by Government both at home and overseas.