Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 331: To ask the Minister for Defence the details of the new remuneration arrangements in respect of members of the Army Reserve. [18550/09]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Reserve Defence Force is a part-time, voluntary organisation whose primary activity is training. Members are free to determine their own level of participation in Reserve activities and may resign from the Reserve at any time. Their service is provided entirely on a voluntary basis with no compulsion to attend. Members of the Reserve undergo both paid and unpaid training.

A gratuity is paid to members of the Reserve Defence Force as a measure of reimbursement on account of losses, expenses and disabilities incurred by them consequent on their obligations as members of the Reserve Defence Force.

As part of the modernisation of the Reserve Defence Force, a new scheme for the payment of gratuities was introduced from 1 January 2008 following consultation and agreement with the relevant stakeholders including the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association.

The new scheme provides for phased increases to the gratuity subject to the satisfactory completion by the Reservists of specified minimum periods of training and to have served for the period of the Reserve-training year, which runs from the 1st November to the 31 of October. Service in the Reserve commences on completion of the recruitment process, including medical testing and security clearance.

The previous rates and the revised rates changes are outlined in the following table:

*Officer of a Brigade RDF Staff or an Officer in Command of a Company, Battery or Squadron.

Gratuities paid in 2007 amounted to €581,000 and gratuities paid in 2008 amounted to €1.222 million. The projected spend for 2009 is €1.85 million.

I am satisfied that the new scheme creates incentives to improve retention and attendance at training in the Reserve Defence Force and this represents an effective productivity return from the revised gratuity rates. This is important in the context of the ongoing modernisation and change agenda within the Reserve Defence Force.