Mr. McNarmaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current strength of the Royal Irish Regiment; how many are(a) part of the regular Army and (b) recruited in Northern Ireland for (i) full-time service in Northern Ireland and (ii) part-time service in Northern Ireland; and what were the corresponding figures for the last five years from 3 November. [5039]
771W
§ Mr. SoamesAll members of the Royal Irish Regiment are formally part of the regular Army. However, the Royal Irish Regimentncy—Home Service—contains a large part-time element and is not liable for service outside Northern Ireland. Soldiers to serve in either the Royal Irish Regiment (General Service) or the Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service) may be recruited in Northern Ireland or elsewhere. The current strength of the regiment, and previous strengths at 1 April in the years since its formation in July 1992, is as follows:
1993 1994 1995 Current General service (Full time) 839 905 900 940 Home service (Full time) 2,917 2,905 3,056 3,010 Home service (Part time) 2,696 2,485 2,257 2,140