Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 79: To ask the Minister for Defence his plans for members of the Reserve Defence Force to serve overseas with the Permanent Defence Force in 2010. [15614/10]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Reserve Defence Force Review Implementation Plan provided for a phased development of Reserve capabilities over the period to end 2009. In line with the plan to provide opportunities for overseas service for members of the Reserve, the intention was to recruit suitably qualified members of the RDF to the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) for the express purpose of contributing to overseas peace support operations.

In March 2009 the Government introduced a moratorium on recruitment to the Public Service. This moratorium prevented the planned recruitment of members of the Reserve to the PDF for the purpose of overseas service, as intended. Reductions in the Defence payroll budget at that time also limited the scope for payment of additional personnel. Accordingly, plans to send members of the Reserve overseas are suspended for the foreseeable future.

As outlined in the budget in December 2009, Defence Forces commitments to overseas peace support operations are being scaled back in 2010.

The Reserve Defence Force is currently the subject of a Value for Money Review and it is anticipated that the findings of this review, coupled with the lessons learned from the Implementation Plan will inform future plans for the development of the Reserve.