Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 439: To ask the Minister for Defence the impact of the embargo on employment on the Reserve Defence Forces; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that people who have long-standing applications have been caught up in the restrictions; the cost savings he foresees; and if they could be made up by making summer camp unpaid or in other ways that would not suspend this voluntary service. [18012/09]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Government introduced a moratorium on recruitment to the Public Service with effect from 27th March 2009 and, as with the public service generally, the Defence Organisation, is required to operate with reduced funding for 2009. In this context all recruitment to the Reserve Defence Force has been suspended for the present. I am aware that this will be disappointing to many individuals who have applied for enlistment in the Reserve.

Membership of the Reserve already requires a significant voluntary commitment of unpaid training. In addition members of the Reserve undertake paid training. While the current budgetary provision for training of members of the Reserve has been reduced, it will be sufficient to provide for paid training for the existing members of the Reserve this year. As there are finite resources available for paid training, increases in numbers to the Reserve would reduce the levels of paid training for the existing members of the Reserve.

I appreciate that certain individuals wishing to join the Reserve are willing to forego paid training. However, I have to ensure that members of the Reserve are afforded the opportunity to undertake training as outlined in the Reserve Defence Force Review Implementation Plan, to the greatest extent possible given the budgetary constraints. Recruiting additional members to the Reserve at this time would not be in the best interest of the Reserve Defence Force in general.