Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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603. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the extent to which membership of the local Defence Forces continues to be maintained at a required level; the extent to which ongoing training standards and requirements are met. [17324/16]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The White Paper on Defence 2015 provides that the overall establishment of Army Reserve (AR) and the Naval Service Reserve (NSR) is set at 4,169 personnel, consisting of 3,869 Army Reservists and the expansion of the four Naval Service Reserve Units from 200 to 300 personnel.

Generally, recruitment campaigns for the RDF are conducted on an annual ongoing basis. The current campaign began on the 7th September 2015, and the Defence Forces have received a total of 2,733 applications to date in this competition. The recruitment campaign has been paused on an administrative basis as the Defence Forces are administering the recruitment campaign for candidates to enter the Permanent Defence Force. I am advised that it is intended to recommence the campaign for Reservists in the coming months.

The 2015 White Paper on Defence confirms that the primary role of the Reserve is to augment the Permanent Defence Force in times of crisis and to participate in ceremonial events. The implementation of measures set out in the White Paper 2015 will provide opportunities for certain members of the RDF to undertake new duties. I am of the view that this, and other initiatives outlined in the White Paper will be a key motivating factor in encouraging more people to join the RDF as well as making it more attractive for current members to stay.

With regard to RDF training, a key recommendation of the Value for Money Review of the RDF, published in November 2012 , was to ensure that all effective members of the Reserve were afforded the opportunity to undertake annual training. In 2016, Subhead A.5 provides for a budget of €2.150 million. of which €2.068 million. provides for a total of 30,000 Paid Training Man-day's for members of the Reserve. This provision is sufficient having regard to the existing strength of the RDF and the voluntary nature of Reserve training.