Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am filling in for Deputy Mac Lochlainn who has another engagement. He asked me to raise two questions.

What is the impact of the cuts over the past number of years? The budget has been reduced, from €13 million in 2006 to €4 million last year. The witnesses might quantify how that has been implemented across the RDF.

The other question relates to the value-for-money report itself. There is one part of it that suggests that of the 4,544 members, only 2,010 availed of required training to avail of gratuities. Deputy Mac Lochlainn wants to know would the RDFRA agree with those figures contained in the value-for-money report and whether there is any particular reason such a high number of personnel did not avail of that scheme? The Deputy also asked me to ask the RDF the effect of the cuts in the numbers of dedicated support staff from the PDF.