Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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229. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he has commenced the exercise of recording working times within the Defence Forces required in advance of introducing legislation to remove their blanket exclusion from the working time directive; the intended timeframe in which it is expected to complete the exercise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39282/23]

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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230. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the current number of officers, non-commissioned officers and privates in the first-line reserve; the corresponding numbers in each of the years 2016 to 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39283/23]

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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231. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the remuneration packages available for members of the first-line reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39284/23]

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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232. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of applications to join the first-line reserve since January 2022, the numbers within that have been enlisted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39285/23]

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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233. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his proposals to increase the strength of the first-line reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39286/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 230 to 233, inclusive, together.

The First Line Reserve (FLR) is intended to provide a pool of trained personnel who are available at short notice to supplement Permanent Defence Force (PDF) units in times of emergency. There is currently no set establishment for the FLR.

The existing regulatory framework provides for former members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) to join the Army Reserve or Naval Service Reserve. This is subject to their meeting certain criteria. Direct entry to the FLR is limited to personnel who are departing the PDF and have undertaken, either voluntarily or on foot of a contractual commitment, to complete a period of service in the FLR.

The Military Authorities have advised that as of 31 July 2023, the strength of the First Line Reserve (FLR) is 277,comprising of 3 Officers, 44 Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and 230 Privates. A table showing the strengths from 2016 - 2022 is included below.

The FLR is an area, which will be examined, in the context of work arising from the Commission on the Defence Forces (CoDF).

As an interim measure, the Department continues to receive business cases from the Military Authorities for applications for officers wishing to join the FLR. The applications are assessed by the Minister on a case by case basis having regard to the particular skills-sets of the officer. Since January 2022, a total of 6 applications to join the FLR have been received and 5 have been approved.

In terms of remuneration, members are entitled to paid training days when they have engaged in approved active training. This would be in addition to the gratuity offered to members of the FLR. Training days are paid at the same rate appropriate to the rank and pay point of the officer.

I would point out that progress has been achieved over the past number of years regarding the RDF.

There has been the introduction of the new Defence Force Regulation DFR R5 in 2022; the recent deployment of Reservists overseas, which was made possible by the Defence (Amendment) Act 2021; and more recently, the establishment of the Office of Reserve Affairs (ORA) whose initial focus will be on a Regeneration Plan for the RDF.

I would like to assure the Deputy that it is my intention, and that of the Chief of Staff, to ensure that the momentum behind the regeneration of the RDF will be maintained, 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.

Table: FLR Strengths from 2016 - 2022