Dáil debates

Tuesday, 7 May 2013

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions

Defence Forces Reserve Review

2:05 pm

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

72. To ask the Minister for Defence if he will report on the implementation of the changes he announced for the Reserve Defence Force in November 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21514/13]

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The value for money review of the Reserve Defence Force, RDF, recommended the retention of a reserve of approximately 4,000 personnel, with a broad range of reforms aimed at ensuring a viable and cost effective reserve into the future. A high level implementation group, HLIG, consisting of civil and military personnel, is overseeing this implementation process of the major reorganisation of the reserve. When complete, it will enhance the overall capacity of the Defence Forces to deal with a broad range of contingencies.

A new single force structure underpinned by legislation is now in place since 31 March. All former Army and Naval Service Reserve units have now been disestablished, with both Reserve Defence Force and Permanent Defence Force units organised within the new single force structure. While the reassignment process put in place for members of the reserve to positions within the new structure is at an advanced stage of implementation, it is not yet fully complete. Reassignment offers have been made to individual members. However, members have the right to appeal and I understand a number have done so.

The reorganisation of the reserve dovetails with the recent reorganisation of the Permanent Defence Force. This revised structure will improve access to equipment, expertise and appropriate training for members of the reserve. In the current phase of implementation which will extend to 30 September 2013 armed training for members of the reserve has resumed. Co-ordinated training is under way and concentrated on capability development and achieving interoperability standards. This will be met from within the existing reserve training budget. Monetary savings of approximately €11 million in 2013 will be achieved by the reduction in direct expenditure on the reserve.

The changes being implemented are a direct response to the identified need for reform and will assist in ensuring a sustainable and fit for purpose reserve into the future. I am satisfied that the changes being introduced will assist in achieving this goal.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge that the members of the Reserve Defence Force welcome the introduction by the Minister of the single force structure. An interesting presentation was made by the said group to the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality during the past fortnight and at that meeting its representatives made it very clear to us that it was their opinion that the value for money review on which the Minister had based his amendments to the system was flawed on a number levels. They said it had failed to make any qualitative evaluation of the input of the Permanent Defence Force into the RDF. They also claimed it had made biased comparisons in its case studies, that it misinterpretd evidence and included no substantial analysis to support many of its claims. In addition, they said it completely ignored the operational capability, experience and output of the Naval Service Reserve.

Photo of Michael KittMichael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I ask the Deputy to, please, frame his question.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Will the Minister agree with the members of the Reserve Defence Force who further said the outcome of the value for money review and the latest reorganisation of the RDF ran contrary to international trends? Will he agree that the existing studies of and reports on international comparators and previous studies of the RDF also indicate that this is the case?

2:10 pm

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The terms of reference for the value for money review were created by my predecessor in 2009. They were prescribed by the Government led by the Deputy's party. I am satisfied that a very detailed and effective analysis was conducted of difficulties within the RDF, including how to make it more effective, how to ensure that it makes a contribution that has value in the public interest and that we use funding wisely. The number of members of the PDF, the cadre who were appointed whose sole task was effectively to mentor members of the RDF, was based on an RDF contingent membership of 9,500, a strength that was never achieved during the 14 years when the Deputy's party was the lead party in government and which resulted in a substantial waste of resources. Members of the PDF who could have been assigned to other duties were given duties that were unnecessary in the context of the real strength. The purpose of the realignment that has taken place and the recommendations for its implementation that I received from the Chief of Staff and the Secretary General in the Department of Justice, Equality and Defence are to ensure that there is value for money, that those members of the reserve who, through their community spirit, want to make a contribution are given a greater opportunity to do so and to reintegrate the reserve into the PDF so that there is a closer relationship between the two which I believe that members of the reserve substantially welcome.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Reserve Defence Forces feel that the Minister has an agenda to abolish them. I hope that is not the case. I ask the Minister to reiterate his very strong commitment to the Reserve Defence Forces. He constantly mentions what my party did in government but he has been long enough in government himself to be able to stand over the positions he is adopting. I ask him to stand over the position he is adopting in this regard and to indicate that he has no intention whatsoever of forcing the Reserve Defence Forces to the point of non-existence through the introduction of regulations and key performance indicators with which it is virtually impossible to comply.

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The reason I refer to his party in government is that in so far as there is any challenge to the nature of the value for money assessment that was undertaken it was undertaken under terms of reference, with which I have no disagreement, prescribed by the Deputy's colleagues in government. One of his colleagues who was a senior Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, when dealing with the value for money report at a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence suggested that the terms of reference had been designed to produce a particular result. He seemed to be oblivious to the fact that they were designed by him and his Cabinet colleagues when in government.

To say something blindingly obvious to the Deputy, if I had an agenda to abolish the Reserve Defence Forces I would have announced its abolition. The abolition of the RDF was one of the assessments made by the value for money audit. I am acting on the proposals and suggestions made to me to make the reserve more effective. If I had an agenda to abolish the reserve instead of announcing a reorganisation in its interests and those of members of the public some months ago I would have announced its abolition. I hope that this issue will go away. I read with great interest the presentation made by members of the reserve to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence. They had many positive things to say and they had some understandable concerns but it is very important that we now move forward with the full implementation of the reforms and I look forward to the day when the reserve is perceived by the public as playing a role that has clear public benefit.