Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

At the moment we are examining the reserve in the context of its functioning, its positioning and its inter-relationship with the Permanent Defence Force, PDF, and the back-up it can provide to the PDF. Naturally, there is a cross-over in the sense that certain duties the reserve undertakes to assist the civil power could equally be undertaken by the Civil Defence, a separate organisation entirely. The Deputy has raised an interesting point with regard to whether we should consider the role of both organisations to determine whether some amalgamation might be undertaken. That is not being considered at the moment and I have no wish to cause any undue concern within either organisation or to give rise to any suggestion that decisions of any nature have been made in this regard because they have not. Certainly, I will bear in mind the suggestion raised by the Deputy.

See this speech in context