Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Question 12: To ask the Minister for Defence his views on developing a community-based Reserve Defence Force service; if he will consider lowering the age from 17 years to 15 years and work with local youth services and youth leaders to make available the experienced services of the Equestrian School, the Naval School, the Military Cadet School, the Air Corps School, the Engineering School and the Infantry Divisions throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14023/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Defence Forces are comprised of both the Permanent Defence Force and the Reserve Defence Force. The primary role of the Reserve Defence Force is to provide a capacity to augment the Permanent Defence Force, the State's regular force, in the event of a major crisis. In this context, members of the Reserve Defence Force may be called out on permanent service or in aid to the civil power, in accordance with the provisions of the Defence Acts 1954-2011. Accordingly, the minimum recruitment age to the Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve is 17 years and there are no plans to revise this downwards. Arising from the Government's Comprehensive Review of Expenditure, the strength ceiling of the PDF was reduced to 9,500 personnel and the Defence budget was further reduced. In response to the reduced strength ceiling, I initiated a major re-organisation of the Defence Forces, both permanent and reserve. This is to ensure that, within the reduced personnel numbers, the operational outputs of the Permanent Defence Force are prioritised and that the organisational structures of the Reserve Defence Force dovetail with those of the PDF.

Given the reductions in strength and resources, there is limited scope to broadly engage the Defence Forces in community based activities. However, the Defence Forces will continue to provide support to communities, within the available resources and subject to operational imperatives.