Written answers
Thursday, 18 April 2019
Department of Defence
Defence Forces Reserve Strength
Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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38. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the strength of the Reserve Defence Forces with regard to all three services and ranks; the gender breakdown of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18204/19]
Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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40. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of additional recruits the Reserve Defence Forces have taken to date in 2019 with regard to all services; the gender breakdown of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18206/19]
Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 40 together.
The Reserve Defence Force (RDF) is comprised of the First Line Reserve (FLR), the Army Reserve (AR) and the Naval Service Reserve (NSR). The Government appreciates the service of the Reserve Defence Force and recognises its importance in contributing to Ireland's defence capability. The White Paper on Defence is clear that there is a continued requirement to retain and develop the RDF and confirms that its primary role is to augment the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) in crisis situations.
The effective strength i.e. those Reservists who comply with the training requirements set out in Defence Force Regulation R5 and breakdown by rank of the RDF, as of 31 Mar 2019 is as follows:
| EFFECTIVE | LT COL | COMDT | CAPT | LT | TOTAL OFFR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARMY | 4 | 40 | 90 | 172 | 306 |
| NS | 0 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 18 |
| Total | 4 | 44 | 99 | 177 | 324 |
| EFFECTIVE | SM | BQMS | CS | CQMS | SGT | CPL | TOTAL NCO | PTE | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARMY | 1 | 4 | 36 | 44 | 223 | 298 | 606 | 720 | 1632 |
| NS | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 26 | 42 | 65 | 125 |
| Total | 1 | 7 | 39 | 44 | 233 | 324 | 648 | 785 | 1757 |
The effective female breakdown of the RDF for the same period is as follows:-
| EFFECTIVE FEMALE TOTAL | LT COL | COMDT | CAPT | LT | TOAL OFFR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARMY | 0 | 2 | 8 | 31 | 41 |
| NS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 0 | 2 | 8 | 33 | 43 |
| EFFECTIVE FEMALE TOTAL | SM | BQMS | CS | CQMS | SGT | CPL | TOTAL NCO | PTE | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARMY | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 59 | 77 | 98 | 216 |
| NS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 20 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 63 | 81 | 112 | 236 |
The substantive strength of the First Line Reserve (FLR) at end March 2019 was 288 personnel. The FLR is comprised of personnel who have completed a term of engagement with the PDF and have undertaken, either voluntarily or on foot or a contractual commitment, to complete a period of service in the FLR. There is no set establishment for the FLR.The following tabular statement sets out the current substantive strength of the FLR by rank (a gender breakdown is not available):-
| Formation | Officers | NCOs | Privates | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army | 16 | 12 | 129 | 157 |
| Air Corps | 2 | 4 | 19 | 25 |
| Naval Service | 17 | 9 | 80 | 106 |
| Total | 35 | 25 | 228 | 288 |
The Government remains committed to strengthening the Reserve and recruitment is currently underway. Supports being provided to maximise recruitment to the Reserve include the use of social media, local radio and outreach activities by RDF members.
With regard to induction of additional recruits to the Reserve in 2019, the induction figures for the period of 1st January to 15th April are as follows:
Total inductions: 46
Total Male: 44
Total Female: 2
All inductions to the RDF in 2019 have been to the Army Reserve.
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