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15th December 2010
02:54pm GMT

Over 10,000 people applied for 230 positions in the Irish Defence Forces – more than the total number of people employed by the military services.
A recruitment campaign aimed at filling 160 vacancies for army privates triggered a massive response earlier this year when some 6,522 people put their names forward.
According to reports in the Irish Independent, a further 2,554 applicants applied for 30 officer cadet slots and another 1,147 sought 40 general service posts with the Naval Service.
The figures mean applicants face competition from 42 other names for each position.
The overall strength of the Defence Forces is has been reduced significantly over recent years. Numbers have been cut from 12,700 to an estimated current figure of below 10,000.

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