David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Defence the way the reorganisation of the Reserve Defence Forces is progressing; the numbers enlisted in the Reserve Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8917/07]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The White Paper on Defence outlines the blueprint for a new Reserve Defence Force. An Implementation Plan has been developed that will ensure the realisation of the White Paper vision and this will be rolled out over the period to end 2009. The new Reserve has a clearly defined role, an enhanced relationship with the PDF and better equipment and training.

The Reserve has already seen significant improvements in terms of clothing, equipment, training and resourcing. The Force has undergone a re-equipping programme and a range of weapons have been introduced to the Force including the steyr rifle, GPMG (Light Machine Gun), .5 HMG (Heavy Machine Gun), 81 mm mortar and Vector 60mm mortar. It is intended to continue this programme of re-equipping the Reserve to the same level of equipment used by the PDF at company level.

Training is central to Reserve Defence Force development and major advances have been made in this area. The training of the Reserve is now defined in Defence Force Annual Training Directive. This process of reform is intended to enhance the development of RDF unit capability to defined standards. Concurrent with the setting of training standards, an assessment programme has been put in place to assess and validate the training standards of the Reserve.

The Reserve is now organised along similar lines to the PDF and the introduction of the integrated element of the Reserve is currently being addressed. Integration on a pilot basis will commence in all Brigades across the majority of PDF units during March 2007. This organisational change facilitates the harnessing and harmonising, where possible, of the cultures, values, outputs, training and equipment of the Reserve Defence Force and the PDF.

The military authorities have advised that Reserve Defence Force numbers are as follows: