Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

I can assure the Deputy there are no plans to abolish the Reserve Defence Force. The proposals regarding the future development of the Reserve Defence Force arising from the value for money review and the wider reorganisation proposals for the Defence Forces as a whole will be introduced in due course. I assure the Deputy there will be consultation with everybody involved, but there are no plans to abolish the Reserve Defence Force. As the Deputy knows, the Reserve plays an important role within our community and within the Defence Forces, as many of the new recruits go on to be full-time Defence Forces personnel.

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