Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I deny that the Government has abandoned the reserve. Everyone understands that numerous savings across different sections and Departments are necessary given the current budgetary situation.

Beyond the reserve, there has been a decline in the number of volunteers. This is affecting the reserve's numbers. Another impact stems from the active attempts to remove non-effective personnel from rolls. Deputy Deenihan referred to a figure of 12,000. The projected figure for the non-integrated reserve is approximately 9,600, but the current complement is approximately 7,800. It has been subjected to a rigorous attitude towards the removal of non-active members from the rolls, which was not present previously.

Deputy Deenihan's budgetary figure of €10 million is approximately correct. Going from memory, a reason for the declines in 2007 and 2008 was that the numbers coming forward did not necessitate that level of funding. Those figures comprised all of the expenditure incurred. A number of improvements have been made to build up the reserve. For example, we have improved the available weaponry and training. I have instituted a graduated gratuity scheme whereby people training for a certain amount of days get one amount, people training for more days get a larger amount and people training for the integrated reserve get an even larger amount. We were to have a recruitment campaign, but I have postponed it temporarily.

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