Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for that. I am replacing a colleague in the Seanad and I want to go back there. There is a good reason he is not present today.

I join the Cathaoirleach in welcoming the RDFRA and he sums it up well with the word "stark". We have a proud tradition of the RDF, formerly the FCA, in County Cavan, where I am from. There is a big tradition there and a high level of participation, which the RDF's records will substantiate. The RDF is formative for young people who join it. It instils patriotism and civic spirit and there are a lot of excellent reasons it is a good thing, apart from any auxiliary role with the military, which I will reference.

I have not met him for a little while but I know him well and I am happy to congratulate the acting company commander in Cavan, Mark Kiernan. Cavan is Company 27. He is the acting commander there, which is a great personal achievement for him and I would like to put that on record. I will stay parochial before I make a few other broad points. Cavan needs a good training centre and there is excellent potential in what was the Army barracks, which was closed in a rationalisation a few years ago. That Dún Uí Néill barracks should provide a potential training centre and could be got on a long-term lease. The witnesses might comment on whether the RDF is trying to advance that in any way.

There have been recruitment delays in County Cavan, as elsewhere. I gathered, anecdotally, and I pick it up, that there have been recruitment delays there as much as anywhere else. The issue of the medicals is a huge part of the delay in the recruitment process. Could the RDF see any solution? Could the medicals be rationalised or streamlined a little? Could they be more efficiently organised? Given the shortage of doctors, could qualified nurses be involved in some way in the process? Could the RDF put forward a set of suggestions to make the medicals more efficient?

The Commission on Defence Forces report was published in February 2022. There were 11 specific recommendations to the RDF. It said the RDF was in a weakened state and that regeneration or abolition was needed. That was intended to be translated into high-level actions and then eventually make its way through. Only this year, in 2023, as the initial statement says, has the office of Reserve affairs been established. The regeneration plan that was promised is not written yet and that is a very poor performance. Mr. Richardson said it is a resource issue. I would have considered, given the short recruitment time, the medical issues and the lack of proper recruitment on a nationwide and continuous basis, that the 1,000 applicants last year was quite a high number. That is high in the context that there is no proper recruitment. That would suggest that the problem is not a lack of interest in people coming forward and it is important to emphasise that.

I ask the RDF to explain the resources. I am sure the Cathaoirleach, other colleagues and the officials want to know what kind of money the RDF is talking about. How much is the deficit or could the RDF attempt to put a figure on that? The deficit does not seem to be an interest in joining. That does not seem to be a problem, which is good news and I invite the RDF to reinforce that point. I see one member has gone to the UNIFIL mission. Surely more should have gone so I ask the RDF to talk about that. Has the RDF negotiated or is it able to establish where members of the RDF could get more involvement in UNIFIL missions and with the regular Army in various activities? Why not? There is no reason that should not be the case. What has the RDF done about that and is it succeeding in that area? Could more be done with employers to incentivise their reservists having the relevant and necessary time, particularly to go on a UNIFIL mission or engage in training or recruitment, including activities with the regular Army and its own activities, which are important?

I would like to ask about the promotional opportunities within the RDF. Is there an inadequacy of promotional opportunities and is that demotivating and disincentivising? I would like to hear about the promotions and the employers and how we could make it easier for employers to co-operate in the process. I would also like to ask about the UNIFIL missions and about the resources question that was mentioned earlier. We have a proud tradition in this and it is a wonderful opportunity for people to be part of this effort. It is a shame that barriers are there and they should be removed. I ask the RDF to make recommendations to us, in specific and narrow terms, on issues we can put to the Minister for Defence. Without going into detail, every briefing we receive from the Department contradicts what the RDF is saying, so it is important we go to the Department with the right information.

I welcome the RDF and I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to come in because my colleague cannot be in the Seanad.