Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I listened carefully to the Dáil debate on the issue. At the beginning, there were delay mechanisms to the introduction of the reserve force. The overwhelming consensus of this House — the only exception to which was the view of the Sinn Féin Deputies — was that I should go ahead and recruit the reserve now. The joint committee sent a delegation to view how reservists work in the UK and it was so impressed that it was in favour of the proposition. I am only doing what the Oireachtas wants me to do.

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