172. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the present establishment strength of the Naval Service, the Army and the Air Corps, respectively; the actual strength of each, broken down between men and women; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45189/24]

The current establishment of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) is 9,600 personnel. This is comprised of Army 7,520, Air Corps 886, and Naval Service 1,094. and a further 100 additional positions for the first cohort of Commission on the Defence Forces appointments.

The military authorities have advised that as of 30 September 2024, the strength of the PDF stood at 7,477. The whole time equivalent (WTE) strength of each service is broken down in the table below.

The staffing challenges in the PDF have been acknowledged previously. Current recruitment initiatives underway to counter these staffing challenges include ongoing recruitment of General Service Recruits and Direct Entry specialists in addition to the recruitment of Cadets, the expansion of the scope of such recruitment, the progression of the recommendations from a recent external validation of the Defence Forces recruitment process, engagement of a marine specialist recruitment body and the establishment of a Joint Induction Training Centre in Gormanston.

Additionally, a range of financial and non-financial retention initiatives have been implemented. These include the doubling of the Naval Service Patrol Duty allowance, the further extension of the Naval Service tax credit, and the extension of private secondary healthcare to all members of the PDF, in addition to significant progress on pay.

Budget 2025 provided a record allocation of €1.35 billion for the Defence Sector, an increase of €100 million. In relation to specific recruitment targets, this allocation provides for the recruitment of at least a net additional 400 personnel per annum.