Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I find myself, once again, in total agreement with Deputy Deenihan. We should be encouraging people to rejoin the reserves. The changes we have made in terms of better equipment, training, uniforms, etc., are an encouragement in itself, as well as the fact that we have targeted gratuities - the more training one does the more one earns, or as near as possible. Basically we are going through a difficult time but I want to re-emphasise to the House that I am committed to the reserves.

Deputy Deenihan's initial question is a good one because it occurred to myself to ask why, if we are committed to maintaining 7,600 or whatever at the start of the year, have we only taken on 200, because we are supposed to take on another 700 or so under that mandate? The Army has told me there is recruitment on a phased basis. The director of the reserve force decided on the criteria in which he would recruit people. Some of the people selected, then, were not interested, but I have asked the Army to speed it up. It is agreed that it is happening too slowly and the Army is going to speed it up. A number of the young people, as mentioned by the Deputy, will be accommodated, hopefully, in the very near future.

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