Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank both Senator Joe O'Reilly and the Acting Chair for their welcome. This is the fourth or fifth time I have been back in the Seanad in recent weeks, but it is always a pleasure and I hope to be here many more times to engage with Senator Joe O'Reilly and the Acting Chair, and Senator Gavan, who is awaiting the next Commencement matter. We all soldiered here together for a good four years.Unfortunately, the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence is unable to be here today. He has asked me to take this Commencement matter on his behalf. Senator O'Reilly knows that I have a particular interest in the Reserve Defence Force, and the Defence Forces more generally, as well as the ongoing work my Department is doing with the RDF to protect the employment status of its members. I will endeavour the questions raised by Senator as I best I can.

The military authorities have confirmed that there are 15 premises at various locations in the State that are normally used for training by the RDF. Eight of these premises are currently owned by the Department of Defence, with the remainder under lease. An additional premises in Bray, County Wicklow, is no longer in use. Four premises from 1 Brigade located at Mallow, Tralee, Ennis and Skibbereen, and seven premises from 2 Brigade, located at Mullingar, Cavan, Navan, Castlebar, Boyle, Letterkenny and Sligo, are staffed during the hours of 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., Monday to Friday. The remaining four premises, located at Templemore, Waterford, Clifden and Wexford, do not have a permanent staffing cohort during these hours. The premises in Ennis is currently not in use due to renovations, with training normally delivered at that centre being delivered in Galway.

In addition to training nights, premises are also used at weekends to facilitate Reserve field training days. The military authorities have confirmed that they are currently compiling statistics on the number of training nights held per location for each year from 2017 to 2022. Regrettably, the data requested could not be readily obtained in the timeframe set out for reply, but I will communicate directly with the Senator as soon as possible with that information. I can confirm that according to figures currently available, 826 Reserve personnel have completed 17,491 training days in 2022, with late applications still being processed.

I assure the Senator that the Government remains absolutely committed to the advancement of the RDF. The 2015 White Paper on Defence is quite clear that there is a continued requirement to retain and develop the Reserve. The report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, published last February, serves to reinforce that commitment. The Senator will be aware, as he mentioned it previously, that this report contains many recommendations on the future role and structure of the RDF. Two recommendations from the report have been identified as early actions. These relate to the RDF, namely, the establishment of the office of Reserve affairs and the development of a regeneration plan for the Reserve. Planning by the military authorities has commenced on establishing the office of Reserve affairs and once this is established, it will be actively involved in implementing the accepted recommendations of the commission.

The Senator may also be aware that a recruitment drive for the RDF was launched in March 2022. This was advertised across a number of media channels. Recruit liaison officers across the RDF conducted local recruitment to attract applicants for this campaign. I am advised that more than 1,000 applications were received during this window, which is very encouraging. In 2022 to the end of the year, 90 new RDF recruits were inducted into the Defence Forces and the processing of eligible applicants continues.