Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 512: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will provide figures on the total public expenditure on the Reserve Defence Force for the past year for which financial accounts are available. [18271/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Subhead D of the Defence Vote includes payments for Reserve Defence Force (RDF), training, gratuities, allowances and also includes grants paid into unit funds. The cost of the RDF as charged to Subhead D for 2010 was €4,014,369 and the provision for 2011 is €4,386,000. The following table shows costs relating to the RDF as charged to the Defence Vote for 2009 and 2010. The table shows, under Subheads B, C and P, the cost of Permanent Defence Force (PDF) personnel, known as the Cadre, who provide training and administrative support to the RDF. The table also shows the rental cost of property used by the RDF as charged to Subhead R.

* Estimated

Cadre pay costs are charged to PDF cost centres in the financial records. The amount shown for Cadre pay and employers PRSI for 2009 was compiled for the VFM review of the Reserve, which is examining the period 2006 to 2009.

The figure shown for 2010 is the estimated cost of Cadre pay and employers PRSI for that year. It reflects reductions in pay in line with Budget 2010 and has been calculated based on the average cost per Cadre member for 2009 and the numbers in place for 2010.

As the RDF is an integral part of the Defence Force, a range of costs, other than those outlined above, are spread across other Subheads of the Defence Vote. These costs, which include Petrol, Transport, Rations etc, are not currently disaggregated for the RDF.

Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 513: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will provide a list of all non-training exercises and activities undertaken by the Reserve Defence Force for the past year for which financial accounts are available. [18272/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Reserve Defence Force's primary role is to support the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) in its contingency defence roles in an emergency situation. In peacetime, the main function of the Reserve centres on training and preparing for these contingency roles. Over the past number of years, the Defence Forces have met operational requirements from within the capacity and resources of the Permanent Defence Force without the need to call up the Reserve Defence Force. Consequently the primary focus of the Reserve has been on training and preparation. Apart from training activities, members of the Reserve Defence Force participate in a range of ceremonial events such as the 1916 commemoration.

In addition, the military authorities have informed me that there are a range of other activities that members of Reserve Units voluntarily undertake in support of their local communities such as charity collections and stewarding.