Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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379. To ask the Minister for Defence the extent to which the Defence Force Reserve personnel are afforded annual training or retraining; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1556/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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A Value for Money Review of the Reserve Defence Force was published in November 2012. A key recommendation in that review was to ensure that all effective members of the Reserve were afforded the opportunity to undertake annual training. In order to facilitate the nature of Reserve service, training is organised both in and out of normal working hours and at weekends. Reserve training is also organised during academic and traditional holiday periods in order to maximise attendance of Reserve personnel. Reserve personnel also have the opportunity to complete formal courses of training at Brigade and Formation level and in the Defence Forces Training Centre in the Curragh Camp. Training of the Reserve remains a priority of the Defence Forces.

In 2014 members of the Reserve availed of 23,000 paid training man-days. The 2015 budgetary provision for paid training for members of the Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve is €2.068 million. This will provide approximately 26,000 paid training man-days.