Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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108. To ask the Minister for Defence the financial supports that will be made available to members of the Reserve Defence Forces into the future in view of the Value for Money Review. [21289/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Arising from the implementation of the recommendations of the VFM Review of the Reserve Defence Force, direct expenditure on the Reserve will reduce to €11 million in 2013. This reduction has arisen largely due to the PDF Cadre support staff being reduced to 57.

The budget for Reserve training activity is €3.243 million for 2013. In order to sustain a Reserve Force at a strength level of 4,069 within existing resources, gratuities have been withdrawn from members of the Reserve and money previously allocated to gratuities has been redirected into paid training to increase the number of paid Mandays. This measure has significantly boosted the number of Mandays available to members of the Reserve, rising from 30,000 Mandays in 2012 to 41,500 in 2013. The effect of increasing the number of paid training days by one-third will ensure sustainable training for members of the Reserve.

This will provide financial supports to all Reservists undertaking paid training. In contrast, only 1,828 Reservists qualified for the payment of a gratuity in 2012.