Mr. Brian Molloy:

The primary focus of the ORA in the immediate term has been about getting the numbers up. As the Senator rightly highlighted, when it comes to the numbers across the Reserve - I may be misquoting or partially quoting Deputy Berry - "withered on the vine" and similar phrases have been used. It may have been Deputy Stanton who made that comment. Whether it was approximately 20,000 in the Reserve back in 1987, down to below 2,000 now, the biggest challenge has been to put in place a plan and a structure and then to get bodies into it. That is where the focus has been over the last while.

There is a 27-item Reserve regeneration plan, which has many important components to it, but a lot of the immediate focus has been on how we can get more people in and make it more attractive. A communication plan has been introduced. There were some barriers. I gather there was an embargo on line officers joining the Front Line Reserve from 2012. That embargo has been lifted and that has resulted in a further increase in people coming into the Front Line Reserve from that space. There were barriers there, and part of the process is going back through those barriers and seeing if there is any particular reason that barrier cannot be lifted. It there is not, the barrier is lifted and we move on from there. A lot of the focus has been on getting the ORA up to initial operating capability, getting bodies in and getting to a point where we can start delivering on the Reserve regeneration plan. One can argue that the numbers being targeted are still too low but, from where we are, it is an ambitious plan to drive forward the numbers in the Reserve. There is the piece with regard to the Second Line Reserve and the First Line Reserve. The Second Line Reserve relates to the question about using the Reserve as a recruitment mechanism into the Permanent Defence Force. Obviously, the First Line Reserve comprises former members of the PDF and, therefore, it does not apply to them. There are different reasons people join the Reserve and they come in at different times. The increase in age limits allows for people who have specialist skills to bring those skills to bear.

The single force concept piece which has been used is primarily relevant to the First Line Reserve and the Second Line Reserve. The specialist Reserve is a different kind of structure to what we have with the single force, which has the same entry mechanisms and fitness tests. That is all the process that has been used. They are looking at all of these to try and come up with mechanisms to attract more people in. Employment and employment protection is a key element. There is a circular. Circulars are what civil servants live by, as the committee members know. I was a private secretary for 30 years before I moved into the public sector. There is a 1970s circular which is still extant that provides for members of the Civil Service to have additional days leave where they are using that leave to attend Reserve training. Even small things such as re-communicating that through the Departments and making sure that people are aware of that fact and encouraging it. There are matters relating to employment protections and the overseas issue and putting in place mechanisms that will facilitate overseas deployment of our Reserve troops. Specific timelines are included in the regeneration plan. To be fair to them, they are very enthusiastic about driving it forward. As the committee is aware, a colonel has been put in charge of the Office of Reserve Affairs, so it has been allocated to a senior position. That will be driven out over the next period. It is like any of those plans. As any of the committee members who were previously in the military will know, where there are plans, there are reviews and updates and people are held to account. That is what is going to happen with regard to the delivery of this.