Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Defence the proposals he has to enhance the role and status of the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association within the defence structure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23351/10]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Defence Force Regulations S.7 and its enabling legislation, the Defence Amendment Act, 1990, provide for representative structures for members of the Defence Forces including the Army and Naval Reserves.

Under existing arrangements, RDFRA has open access to both the Department and the Military Authorities. A number of meetings take place each year between the Association and officials of the Department and separately between the Association and the Military Authorities.

The Reserve Defence Force (RDF) is a voluntary force and members are not dependant on it for their livelihood. It must be remembered that RDFRA is not akin to the representative associations for the Permanent Defence Force, in that, the Association is not concerned with the day to day earnings of their members who have other employment, members of the RDF are not covered by employment legislation, and the nature of their engagement is entirely voluntary.

That said, I remain sensitive to the concerns of RDFRA and, while I am fully satisfied with the processes currently in place, I will of course keep this situation under review to ensure that the good progress made to date continues into the future.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 67: To ask the Minister for Defence the reason the Reserve Defence Forces declined from 24,569 members in 1960 to fewer than 7,000 members at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23344/10]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised by the Military Authorities that the strength of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) as at 30 April 2010, the latest date for which figures are currently available, was 6,304.

The White Paper on Defence, 2000, provided for an Army reserve of 12,000 and a Naval reserve of 400. The RDF Review Implementation Plan, which was formally launched in July 2004, sets out the proposed establishment of the Reserve. The establishment of the non-integrated element of the Reserve was set at 9,692. This establishment came into force in October 2005, when the Reserve was re-organised. In addition, the plan provides for the development of an integrated element of the Army Reserve with a proposed establishment of 2,656 personnel. In line with the plan, a pilot integration project was initiated in 2007 and whilst numbers participating were less than expected, valuable lessons were learned.

In the context of the Government decision on the implementation of savings measures on public service numbers and the reduced budgetary provision available for 2009, all recruitment to the RDF was suspended. Following a subsequent review and examination of RDF personnel numbers and budgets for 2009, limited recruitment to fill vacancies arising due to existing Reserve members resigning, or being discharged in the normal manner resumed.

This limited recruitment is continuing subject to the overall strength level that existed at 1 January 2009 (7,671) not being exceeded. The limited recruitment will also be monitored and kept under review in the light of the uptake of paid training within the RDF and the future budgetary provision available to the Department.

I am aware that numbers in the Reserve have declined over recent years. This trend in reduced volunteerism is not confined to the Reserve but is indicative of broader societal trends. It should also be noted that a more rigorous approach is now taken to removing the names of non-effective personnel from unit rolls. This accounts for part of the fall in numbers over recent years.

There is now a requirement to examine the progress that has been made and to chart the future direction of the Reserve. Work has commenced on a Value for Money Review of the Reserve and the findings of this Review, together with the lessons learned from the Implementation Plan to date, will inform the future plans for the Reserve.