Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

As the Deputy is aware, a value for money review of the Reserve Defence Force commenced in February 2010. Significant progress has been made on the review and in the normal course of events I would have expected it to have been completed and that we would be commencing the implementation of the review findings.

The Government is fully engaged in making the difficult corrections necessary to consolidate the public finances. In this regard, a comprehensive review of expenditure is under way. All Departments are working with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in identifying potential expenditure cuts. The Department of Defence is no exception to this process and there has been a broad review across all defence expenditure. This priority has drawn on the team undertaking the value for money review of the Reserve Defence Force which has resulted in the need to extend the time required to collate and analyse value for money data and prepare draft findings. More importantly, specific recommendations relating to the Reserve Defence Force cannot be presented in isolation from the broader review of the defence Vote. Accordingly, finalisation of the value for money review will take account of the outcome of the comprehensive review of expenditure process. The steering committee will meet in the coming weeks to consider the progress made to date and agree the timeframe for the completion of the review, taking account of the comprehensive review of expenditure process under way.

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