Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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16. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of active and inactive members of each of the branches of the Defence Forces, for each of the past 20 years, and the establishment numbers which is the target number for the Defence Forces in those years. [5286/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The military authorities have provided the requested information as set out in the attached tables which will be provided to you. They advise that it has only been possible to provide the establishment figures for the Defence Forces from 2013 to date and the strength figures for the Defence Forces from 2010 onwards.

When a member of the Permanent Defence Force signs up for enlistment they do so for 12 years. Enlistment in the Permanent Defence Force consists of serving either in the Permanent Defence Force, or partly in the Permanent Defence Force and serving the remainder of their term in the Reserve Defence Force (RDF).

There are currently three branches of the Reserve Defence Force, namely the Army Reserve (AR), the Naval Service Reserve (NSR) and the First Line Reserve (FLR).

The First Line Reserve comprises former members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) and has no defined establishment. The Second Line Reserve, consists of the Army Reserve and the Naval Service Reserve and has an establishment of 4,069 personnel.

In line with a recommendation of the Commission on the Defence Forces (CoDF) pertaining to the Reserve, the Office of the Reserve Affairs (ORA) was established in 2022, along with the full time appointment of a Director in that Office at the rank of Colonel, to oversee and support a holistic approach to the revitalisation of the RDF.

The RDF Regeneration and Development Plan, published by the Office of Reserve Affairs in July 2024, coordinates 27 individual actions designed to create a force of well trained, well equipped and highly motivated Reservists. The overall strategic objective of this plan is to ‘create a reserve force that can seamlessly train, operate and deploy with the PDF nationally and internationally’.

My Government remains committed to on-going recruitment to the RDF, and it is very encouraging that there was a 300% increase in recruitment in 2024, compared to 2023. Various recruitment initiatives to ensure momentum are ongoing.

It is clear that the initiatives contained with the RDF Regeneration and Development Plan are generating some positive change. This momentum is on a positive trajectory towards a regenerated, trained and capable RDF to support the PDF.

">Reserve details

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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17. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence for an update on the Institute for Peace Support and Leadership training in the Curragh proposed in the 2015 White Paper on Defence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6068/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Implementation of the White Paper programme has progressed in planned phases since 2015. This phased process was kept under review across the years and was subject to change or update as issues arose and other business dictated. Decisions about which projects to progress at any stage took into account the priorities set out in the Programme for Government, available resources, and initiatives already underway.

In September 2023, my Department published the Strategic Framework on the Transformation of the Defence Forces. This Framework brought together into one overarching document, from the multiplicity of plans developed, the immediate actions to be taken to support the transformation of the Defence Forces into a fit-for-purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges of today and the future.

A White Paper programme status report was subsequently published in May 2024, which reflected the current position for each of the 95 White Paper projects and followed on from similar updates in 2019 and 2021. It identified a number of projects that will be now amalgamated for implementation under the Government-approved Detailed Implementation Plan, DIP, to operationalise the Commission on the Defence Forces transformation.

As part of this process, the White Paper commitment to evaluate the potential development of an Institute for Peace Support and Leadership Training has now been incorporated under the Commission on the Defence Forces recommendation on the establishment of a National Defence Academy. I am informed that further evaluation remains ongoing in relation to this recommendation.