Dáil debates

Tuesday, 27 November 2012

Topical Issue Debate

Reserve Defence Force

6:00 pm

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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I raised my concerns around the so-called value for money review of the Reserve Defence Force and its role with the Minister, Deputy Shatter, a number of weeks ago during defence questions. I appealed to him to have another look at the submission made by the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association, RDFRA, back in 2010 and the innovative proposals within that before a final decision would be made. I am outraged to learn the representatives of the Reserve Defence Force were given just hours to prepare a response to this 110 page document, although they had been assured they would have at least a week to make a response. As a result, they have not endorsed the report or the recommendations.

What is to happen? Essentially, the Government is going to halve the budget for the Reserve Defence Force and halve the numbers within it. As the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, knows, rural parishes throughout the State will lose their outposts, which are being centralised to a number of locations and main camps. There has been an awful lot of pride in these organisations over the years.

They are the umbilical link between the Permanent Defence Force and the communities they represent. It is not just about St. Patrick's Day parades. They are involved in fund-raising and other initiatives. Most important, they help young people to establish a civic and patriotic connection with the country. It is a huge tragedy that the Minister has decided to agree to a so-called value for money report that saves €11 million.

I will outline to the Minister of State how €11 million could be saved based on Sinn Féin's budget proposals. The Government would save €11 million if it cut payments to political appointees to State boards by 25%, cut the salaries of Ministers to €100,000 per annum and cut the salaries of Deputies to €75,000. The Government has a choice. It could halve the resource of the Reserve Defence Force, take away the connection with local communities across the State, radically deplete the mostly civic and voluntary service that gives considerable value for money - despite the recommendations in the report - or it could cut the pay of political appointees, Ministers and Deputies. It is all about choices and that is what the Minister has chosen to do. That is a disgraceful way to treat the representatives of the Reserve Defence Force. They were only given hours to look over the report and it was published without giving them any chance to give feedback in response to the recommendations of the report. It was a serious mistake not to take on board their ideas in terms of the final outcome of the report. What is the response of the Minister?

6:10 pm

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to have the opportunity to discuss the reorganisation of the Reserve Defence Force. That is a key element of the response to the findings and recommendations of a value for money, VFM, review of the Reserve Defence Force, which was recently completed and published. The value for money review was undertaken by a steering committee with an independent chair. The steering committee comprised representatives from the Department of Defence, the Defence Forces and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The steering committee concluded that the current Reserve organisation required radical reform. The review found that the current effective strength of the Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve at 4,500 personnel is less than half that of the 9,692 personnel for which the organisational structures were designed. The Permanent Defence Force, PDF, support framework, was designed for a Reserve of 9,692 and the retention of existing numbers of full-time PDF personnel assigned to Reserve duties was both inefficient and no longer sustainable within a PDF strength ceiling of 9,500 personnel.

In addition, there were significant issues with regard to the uptake of training in the Reserve over the period of the review. In 2011 less than half of the effective strength of 4,554 participated in seven days paid and unpaid training. The details for other years are outlined in the review. The central recommendation from the VFM steering committee is for the retention of the Reserve with 4,000 personnel spread countrywide to be based in barracks and in 16 other locations. That requires the consolidation of existing Reserve units throughout the country into a smaller number of full strength units. The retention of all locations was not a viable or sustainable option.

I accepted the steering committee's recommendations and directed that proposals for new organisational structures be prepared, taking account of the VFM report and the major reorganisation of the PDF. The Chief of Staff and Secretary General submitted an agreed report which set out detailed reorganisation proposals, including unit structures and the location of Reserve units. The Minister accepted the proposals.

A new "single force" concept will see PDF units having Reserve components, rather than a parallel Reserve as at present. Reserve units within barracks will be supported by their parent PDF unit and the 16 units outside of PDF installations will be supported by dedicated full-time PDF personnel. This concept offers significant potential advantages in terms of training and development of the Reserve. The initiative of locating Reserve officers within the Defence Forces management structure will likewise underpin the future Reserve.

These steps create a viable structure while addressing the inefficiency caused by having too many widely dispersed and under-strength units. Direct expenditure on the Reserve will reduce from €22 million in 2012 to €11 million in 2013. The cut in the number of PDF support staff accounts for the bulk of the reduction, while the money available for training activity by the Reserve is being maintained. In order to ensure sufficient paid training for a strength level of 4,000 personnel, gratuities will be withdrawn and the budget redirected to increase the overall number of paid training man-days. Modest savings will accrue over time from a reduction in Reserve property but is not the key driver of the reforms.

Deputy Mac Lochlainn will appreciate that the smaller number of full-sized units, outside of PDF installations, must cover the entire country. Among other considerations, the selection of locations for these units sought to ensure continued opportunities for people throughout the country to serve in the Reserve. These changes to the current Reserve organisation are in response to a compelling case for reform and will dovetail with the significant changes that are occurring in the PDF organisational structures. They are intended to ensure a better Reserve and enhance overarching defence capabilities. The service of all members of the Reserve is very much appreciated by Government and I hope that all personnel will continue to serve within the new organisation.

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister of State stated "the service of all members of the Reserve is very much appreciated". That is not really the case because if he appreciated the service of all members of the Reserve Defence Force he would have adequately consulted with them and given them a chance to have a real input into the so-called value for money report and he would have provided them with a chance to examine the submissions that they made in 2010 and compare them to the findings of the report. The so-called value for money report took 33 months to complete. The representatives of Reserve Defence Force members were given a 90 minute presentation literally hours before the report was published. That is no way to treat people who serve on the ground in communities.

The number of cadres in the Permanent Defence Force has been reduced dramatically and members are being reallocated to various other posts as we speak. I urge the Minister of State to examine the practical reallocation of personnel in terms of where they reside, the previous location of their base of operations and where they are asked to go. Issues in those regards must be examined.

I am a Deputy for Donegal North-East. The Inishowen Peninsula, which has a population of 40,000, has lost its base which is being centralised. I will focus on one geographic location. I could give more examples but this is the area I know best. If one limits their training capacity then young people from the north Inishowen Peninsula will not be able to participate in training opportunities during the week. That is where one gets the statistics on the number of Reserve personnel that are unable to participate.

I urge the Minister of State to re-engage with the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association and to listen to its feedback and concerns. As we speak, the Reserve Defence Force is engaged in consultation across the State in its brigades and that will feed in centrally and will come to the attention of the Minister. I have no doubt it will bring many issues to the attention of the Minister which he has not considered. A grave mistake has been made in haste after such a long process in an attempt to publish the report and go for the headline figure of halving the budget. The mistake that has been made is that disrespect has been shown to those who serve us and the organisation representing them and we must see whether we can change some of the decisions and address the concerns of members of the Reserve Defence Force. I appeal to the Minister of State to address the issue.

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I do not believe that disrespect was shown to the members of the Reserve Defence Force. They are very much aware of the value for money review that was being carried out, as the Deputy stated, for some time. They patiently awaited the publication of the review.

This was brought to Cabinet last Tuesday and was passed. The Minister for Defence, Deputy Shatter, brought the memo forward and Reserve personnel and their representatives were consulted after the decision of Cabinet. One does not put the cart before the horse. The memo was first passed at Cabinet and the Reserve members were then briefed on the outcome of the value for money review.

The Deputy is not giving a chance to either that review or the report on how the new Reserve will proceed. The Reserve will now be stronger than it was. I understand people do not like change but unfortunately we do not have the same budget we had in previous years to maintain the service and the cadre we have. I assure the Deputy that every member who is being moved will be accommodated in every way possible to the best of the Defence Force's capabilities. I know people do not like being moved and I sympathise with them but unfortunately we are not in the same position we were some years ago.

The Deputy stated the issue was about choices. Every decision made in this House is about choices, as we all know. What I cannot understand is that the Deputy can come down here and criticise every cutback while his party is in government in the North, carrying out the very same cutbacks in the same areas.

6:20 pm

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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It is very different.

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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That is happening. The Deputy can snigger but it is unbelievable that he can come down here and be a totally different representative from his colleagues in the North who have to take some tough decisions.

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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With all due respect, that is nonsense. It is a Tory Government which is responsible.

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I outlined the savings made. I assure the Deputy that the Government very much appreciates the work of the Reserve and will continue to do so. We will accommodate all members of the cadre who have to change location and I have no doubt the Defence Forces will do so, to the best of their abilities.

Photo of Joe O'ReillyJoe O'Reilly (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Again, I offer apologies to Deputy MacLochlainn, whom we almost overlooked. Deputies Michael Creed, John Paul Phelan and Finian McGrath have two minutes each.