Written answers
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Department of Justice, Equality and Defence
Defence Forces Reserve
9:00 pm
Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 266: To ask the Minister for Defence the reason the Reserve Defence Forces were not used during the recent high profile visits (details supplied). [13444/11]
Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Security arrangements for the visits of Queen Elizabeth II and the President of the United States were primarily an operational matter for An Garda Síochána. Amongst the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence (2000) is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power (ATCP) - meaning in practice to assist, when requested, An Garda Síochána. In relation to these two hugely successful visits, the role played by the Defence Forces included search, surveillance and security operations on land, at sea and in the air as requested by, and in support of, An Garda Síochána.
In this context, there was no requirement for the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) to provide capacity to augment the Permanent Defence Force (PDF). The Defence Forces were also involved in the provision of ceremonial duties as part of Queen Elizabeth's State visit. The RDF was not used in this regard as the PDF were in a position to carry out all tasks assigned to them. In these circumstances, the additional costs that would have been involved in calling on members of the RDF to participate in what were lengthy preparations for the two visits could not be justified.
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