Written answers
Tuesday, 20 June 2023
Department of Defence
Defence Forces
James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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120. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the strength of the reserve Defence Force as of 1 June 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28296/23]
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The strength of the Reserve Defence Force, as of 31 May 2023, is set out below:
| Service | Establishment | Effective Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Army Reserve | 3869 | 1351 |
| Naval Service Reserve | 200 | 79 |
| First Line Reserve (FLR) | N/A | 276 |
*there is no set establishment for the FLR
The Government remains fully committed to the advancement of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF). The 2015 White Paper on Defence is quite clear that there is a continued requirement to retain and develop the Reserve.
The Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces (CODF) equally serves to reinforce that commitment. The Report contains many recommendations on the future role and structure of the RDF.
Two recommendations from the report, which have been identified as Early Actions, relate to the RDF, namely the establishment of the Office of Reserve Affairs (ORA), and the development of a Regeneration Plan for the Reserve.
The ORA has been established, with the appointment of a Colonel to lead the ORA. The office is also currently staffed with a Lieutenant Colonel from the RDF. Further personnel will be assigned to the Unit.
The development of the Regeneration Plan will be the initial focus of the ORA and this is in train. This process will also take into consideration the CoDF recommendations relating to the structure and strength of the RDF, such as increasing the future RDF establishment strength, which includes that the future establishment of the RDF should be increased and should include, at a minimum, an Air Force Reserve of 200, and a Navy Reserve of 400.
From the 2022 RDF recruitment competition, where over 1000 application were received, nearly 100 RDF recruits have been inducted into the Defence Forces with further inductions scheduled. The military authorities have advised that once the body of work arising from last year's campaign is completed, consideration will be given to the launch of a further recruitment initiative in mid-2023.
It is intended to ensure that the momentum behind the regeneration of the RDF will be maintained throughout 2023 and beyond, thereby enabling us, going forward, to create a Reserve Defence Force that can seamlessly train, operate and deploy with the Permanent Defence Force, both nationally and internationally.
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