Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 511: To ask the Minister for Defence if payments to the Reserve Defence Force for security duties made since the introduction of the minimum wage complied fully with the minimum requirements in all cases; the effective rate per hour for a private, corporal and lieutenant arising from the application of DFR5 para 75 (6) ([i]a[/i]) for a 24-hour duty. [12003/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Reserve Defence Force, RDF, is a volunteer force and, as such, the relationship between members of the reserve and the Department of Defence is not comparable to a normal employer-employee relationship. The reserve is currently undergoing major reorganisation. The White Paper on Defence outlines the blueprint for a new Reserve Defence Force and an implementation plan has been developed that will ensure the realisation of the White Paper vision. This is being rolled out over the period to end 2009.

The RDF has already seen significant improvements in terms of clothing, equipment, training and resourcing. It is now organised along similar lines to the PDF and the introduction of the integrated element of the reserve is being addressed. All of these changes will enhance the capabilities of the RDF as well as improving interoperability with the PDF.

One recommendation of the implementation plan is to give the reserve personnel operational experience and improve the integration with the PDF by the use of security duty. All aspects of the deployment of the RDF are being reviewed in the lifetime of the implementation plan. This includes the use of the RDF for security duty and other issues such as participation on overseas missions. The applicability of employment legislation in the case of volunteers will also be considered. At present, where reserve personnel perform security duties, they are paid the appropriate allowances as paid to their Permanent Defence Force counterparts. A table outlines the rates paid to members of the Reserve Defence Force in the rank of private, corporal and lieutenant who perform a 24-hour security duty.