Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

The postponement of questions meant we discussed this issue in detailed at the committee yesterday, but I will reiterate some of the points made. The Minister outlined yesterday the sequence of events that had led to the delay in the review of the Reserve Defence Force being completed. Perhaps the Minister will summarise what he said. The delay has added considerably to a serious morale problem within the Reserve Defence Force as it does not see any purpose or role for it. It is a valuable service. Deputy Stanton and Senator Denis Landy spoke yesterday about their experiences in it and the services it had offered during the years in backing up the civil power and doing emergency work, including flood prevention works, which are hugely significant and important. The review gives us a chance to reiterate and define that role for the Defence Forces in the 21st century. A definition of the role would stabilise retention rates and numbers could be improved. I suggested yesterday that in the context of examining the money being spent on the Reserve Defence Force, input costs associated with the Permanent Defence Force were often included and ascribed to the Reserve Defence Force as if they were were specifically its costs. This is a source of enormous frustration. The Minister gave some very high figures that I would like to hear again about the costs ascribed to the Permanent Defence Force and the Reserve Defence Force. When does he envisage the review process being completed? Will he bring it before the committee in draft form in order that we can have an input into it?

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