Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I accept that the Minister of State is committed to the Reserve Defence Force but the figures are going down all the time. While we are standing here saying how committed we are, there needs to be action to address the fall in the numbers. I believe the Reserve Defence Force is being strangled when it comes to recruitment and the recruitment process. I have outlined to the Minister of State on a number of occasions the difficulties inherent in the medical and fitness tests and the timing of same. Garda clearance, specifically getting it back on time, is also a major issue, as is the lack of communication to people looking to join the Reserve Defence Force. There are issues here, and devolving the matter to the Reserve Defence Force itself might help address some of them. We need to examine the possibility of RDF members going overseas. This was mooted a number of years ago and needs to be put back on the table. We need legislation to ensure that members of the Reserve do not face any employment barriers, a review of legislation, Defence Forces regulations governing the RDF, regular recruitment campaigns for the RDF and new retention initiatives. I appreciate the PDF is a priority in the Minister of State's Department, but we can do both at the same time. We have that capability. It is not rocket science. Renewed efforts must be made. The Reserve Defence Force is meant to have a strength of more than 4,000 but we are now at 1,800, so these are dire straits. If we continue the way we are going, we will have no RDF left - the organisation will not exist.

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