Military Services
Armed forces. Ireland's army has about 11,200 members. An additional 1,000 people serve in the navy, and about 800 in the air force. All service is voluntary.Today approximately 8,500 men and women serve in the Army. The country is divided into three areas for administrative and operational reasons, and in each area there is an infantry Brigade.In addition to the Brigades Structure, there is also a Defence Forces Training Centre (DFTC), a Logistic Base in the Curragh and a number of special establishments such as the Equitation School, Army Bands, and the Army Ranger Wing. In the case of Corps which support the Infantry, a Corps Director and staff are provided to coordinate the purchase of specialised equipment, the execution of specialised training, etc.
The three brigade group structure envisages distinct operational areas of responsibility for each of the brigades. One has primary responsibility for operational tasks in the border area, the second for operational tasks in the greater Dublin and Leinster area and the third for operational tasks in Munster and part of the Connacht area. Practical operational considerations dictate the requirement to outline operational areas of responsibility. The brigade group structure is based on strengthened combat and combat support elements and streamlined combat service support elements. The Defence Forces consist of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) and the Reserve Defence Force (RDF). The PDF includes the Army, Naval Service and the Air Corps.
The Reserve Defence Force comprises An Forsa Cosanta Aitiuil (FCÁ) which is the Army Reserve and An Slua Muirí, the Naval Reserve. The president is the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces. Military Command is exercised by the Government through the Minister for Defence.
to defend the State against armed aggression; this being a contingency, preparations for its implementation will depend on an on-going Government assessment of the security and defence environment; to aid the civil power (meaning in practice to assist, when requested, the Garda Síochána, who have primary responsibility for law and order, including the protection of the internal security of the State); to participate in multinational peace support, crisis management and humanitarian relief operations in support of the United Nations and under UN mandate, including regional security missions authorised by the UN; to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with the State's obligations as a member of the EU; to carry out such other duties as may be assigned to them from time to time, e.g. search and rescue, air ambulance service, Ministerial air transport service, assistance on the occasion of natural or other disasters, assistance in connection with the maintenance of essential services, assistance in combating oil pollution at sea
