Andrew Doyle
Question:32 Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Defence when he will confirm if there will be a first year cadet school commencing in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24818/09]
Other Questions.
Defence Forces Recruitment.
Richard Bruton
Question:36 Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Defence the way the recruitment process will operate in 2009 following his recent decision to exclude the Reserve Defence Force from the recruitment moratorium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24798/09]
Jan O'Sullivan
Question:91 Deputy Jan O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Defence the position regarding the 2009 cadet intake into the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24703/09]
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:373 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence when the next recruitment will take place in respect of the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25233/09]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 32, 36, 91 and 373 together.
In the context of the Government decision on the implementation of savings measures in public service numbers and the reduced budgetary provision available for 2009, all recruitment to the Reserve Defence Forces had been suspended. Following a review and examination of Reserve Defence Force personnel numbers and budget, I am satisfied there is sufficient provision to allow for paid training for existing members of the Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve this year. Accordingly, I have recently approved the commencement of limited recruitment to fill vacancies which may arise due to existing Army Reserve or Naval Service Reserve members resigning or being discharged during 2009, in the normal manner. The numbers that may be recruited will depend on the numbers leaving and any such vacancies will be filled over the coming weeks and months, drawing from the current list of applicants. This limited recruitment will be monitored and kept under review in the light of the uptake of paid training within the Reserve Defence Force and the future budgetary provision.
The savings measures are being implemented in the Permanent Defence Force. I am in contact with my colleague, the Minister for Finance, about the implications of the measures for the Permanent Defence Force. My focus is on the ongoing operational capability of the Defence Forces. The question of limited exceptions to the application of the measures arises in this regard. It is therefore too early to confirm if there will be a cadet class this year or an intake of general service recruits.
The Defence Forces have improved in every respect since 2000 through the implementation of the White Paper. This represents a significant public service success story. The organisation is therefore in a healthy state both in terms of personnel and equipment. The economic reality is such that the Government decision must be implemented. It can be anticipated that further flexibility and restructuring will be required arising from the implementation of these measures. I intend, within the resources available, to retain the capacity of the organisation to operate effectively across all roles. This will represent a significant challenge in the coming years and one in respect of which I will work closely with the Chief of Staff. I am advised that the Defence Forces retain the capacity to undertake the tasks laid down by Government at home and overseas.
I am sure the Minister realises this is the first time in our history there will be no cadet school unless he is to change his mind. I appeal to him, that if he is to make exceptions this should be one of them. It probably will be, in any case, by the end of the summer. There are compelling reasons to support the taking in of the cadet school for the future of our Defence Forces. In addition, regarding the skills base there at present, namely, the trainers and instructors, if there were to be no cadet school this could affect some of those people who might move on and that would leave gaps. It is very important that the whole structure be maintained because we have a highly efficient cadet school in this country and have produced some outstanding officers from that school. It is probably one of the best in the world.
I was in West Point last March and compared what I saw there with here. With regard to the quality of training and the approach used, we would be on par with West Point, if not ahead of it. I appeal to the Minister, regarding the issue of cadets, that he give serious consideration to taking on the cadet school this year, for the reasons I have given. The young people coming into the Army are the lifeblood. These are the people who will be in control and commanding overseas missions in the years ahead. If the Minister breaks that sequence, I am convinced he will do damage to the future of our military personnel and the Defence Forces in general.
I want the Minister to give very serious consideration to changing his decision on the cadet school.
The reasons underlying the policy of ongoing recruitment, including having a cadet class every year, are still valid, despite the moratorium. The reasons are to help achieve a balanced age profile for the Defence Forces and to maintain the necessary strength and skill levels. As I indicated to the House, this has now been superseded by a moratorium with which we must comply because there is no point about talking generally about reducing public expenditure and then refusing to do so in any specific way.
As I said already to Deputy Deenihan, I made recommendations in a major submission to the Minister for Finance. This submission was made in writing and I spoke to the Minister as recently as today. I am to have a formal meeting with him very shortly. I do not wish to disclose to the House the terms of my submission. All I will say is that if Deputy Deenihan were to guess that the Cadet School was part of it, he might not be that far wide of the mark.
I share some of the concerns expressed by Deputy Deenihan with regard to the strength of the officer corps if this situation is to continue for any length of time. There is also the other factor, namely, officers taking early retirement or moving onwards. Is this situation under review at present? Can the Minister give any indication of how many officers intend to retire from the Defence Forces this year? How many cadets are currently in the cadet school? Is there a possibility, or a probability, that the moratorium on the cadet school might continue into future years? Does the Minister envisage any serious weakening of the officer corps in the Army as a result of early retirement and the lack of new cadets coming on stream?
If I miss any figures in respect of Deputy O'Shea's question I shall get the answer for him. I am informed that during the lifetime of the moratorium which will finish at the end of 2010, three Brigadier Generals and one Deputy Chief of Staff are due to retire. The total number of people who are to retire in the officer corps over that period will be 90. The last cadet class was put together last year and 41 members were taken into that class. I realise the importance of continuity and I understand Deputy O'Shea's point about the strength of the officer corps. It is not my decision. The moratorium applies to every Department. I made submissions to the Minister for Finance and by the next time parliamentary questions for the Department of Defence come around again, albeit after the summer, we will know the situation in full. I hope I will be able to persuade the Minister for Finance to grant me some concessions.
In view of the fact that the Minister has removed the moratorium, albeit on a restricted level, on the Reserve Defence Forces, I have some specific questions. How will recruiting on a limited basis to the reserve operate? This is very important. What number is envisaged will be recruited in 2009? How will the candidates for recruitment be identified and prioritised within the numbers of potential recruits who have been part of, or have completed, the pre-induction programme in 2008? I understand there is a large number of these, over 1,000. How will the Minister decide which of those who are ready to join the Reserve Force will be selected? It is very simple. If there is to be a restricted form of recruitment there will be major problem in identifying those people. What methods will be used to identify them for this restricted recruitment?
I am informed that the director of the Reserve Defence Forces has agreed criteria for the selection of the intake of recruits. The priorities are those who have completed medicals and security clearance, linked to waiting list and unit strength.
There are over 1,000. Will the full number be taken on?
I shall clarify for the House the way this will operate. We took the decision that a certain number of people leave the reserve every year. We looked at the number at the start of the year, which was, I believe, 7,575 and have committed to maintaining that number. In other words, people who go on the non-effective list or who leave will be replaced. We intend to maintain the strength at least at that level. That is our present position but we are keeping the matter under review. If we can do better than that we will do so.
On that point, what use does the Minister plan to make of the Reserve? Is he satisfied with the level and standard of training in the reserve?
We have improved the conditions of the reserve. There is better training and it is now better organised, has better clothing and equipment. As the Deputy knows, there is a proposal in the White Paper to have an integrated element in the reserve and for it to be integrated with the Reserve Defence Forces. So far, recruitment to that has proved disappointing and only 300 people have been trained as integrated reservists. However, we are learning some lessons from the fact that it has not been as successful as was envisaged. Originally it was envisaged that ultimately about 2,500 people would be in the integrated reserve. That ambitious objective will not be reached within the lifetime of the White Paper, which is to the end of next year. The military has informed me that it has learned from the failure to move the initiative more quickly and that it will take appropriate actions to improve recruitment to the integrated reserve.
In light of the Minister's removal of the moratorium on recruitment to the Reserve Defence Force, RDF, does he intend to extend the principle and remove the moratorium on promotions within it, for example, fixed term promotions from second lieutenant to first lieutenant and from second private to third private? These are volunteers, not members of the public service, and their promotions would be fixed term. It should be possible to allow fixed term promotions to occur without any expense. Will the Minister review the promotional structure within the RDF, given his decision to remove its moratorium on recruitment?
Yes, that is under consideration.
I thank the Minister.
Has anything been done this year to invite recruits to the cadet school? If the Minister makes progress on this front with the Minister for Finance, how will they be enrolled and from where will they come? There is a problem in that people who would want careers in the Defence Forces might apply in other fields and seek to pursue other careers due to the moratorium. Should a decision not be reached quickly so as to allow people to direct their attention towards the Defence Forces? They could pursue cadet careers, which would lead on to officerships.
I agree. I have made submissions to my colleague, the Minister for Finance, and I hope to meet him shortly in that regard. Like previous years, I am advised of a high level of interest this year in the cadet school. We are still not too late. If a decision is made in the next couple of weeks, we will be able to have a cadet class this year.
Defence Forces Reserve.
Lucinda Creighton
Question:33 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Defence when he will reverse his decision on the moratorium on promotions within the Reserve Defence Force, RDF, following his recent decision to exclude it from the recruitment moratorium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24811/09]
Brian O'Shea
Question:51 Deputy Brian O’Shea asked the Minister for Defence the number of personnel expected to be recruited up to the end of 2009 in regard to his recent statement announcing the resumption of limited and monitored recruitment to replace existing members of the Army Reserve or Naval Service Reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24684/09]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 51 together.
In the context of the Government decision on the implementation of savings measures on public service numbers and the reduced budgetary provision available for 2009, all recruitment to the Reserve Defence Force, RDF, was suspended. Following a subsequent review and examination of RDF personnel numbers and budgets for 2009, I was satisfied there was sufficient provision to allow for paid training for existing members of the reserve this year.
Accordingly, on 19 May I announced that limited recruitment to fill vacancies arising due to existing reserve members resigning or being discharged this year in the normal manner could proceed. The numbers recruited will depend on the numbers leaving. This limited recruitment will be monitored and kept under review in light of the uptake of paid training within the RDF and the future budgetary provision. Therefore, I am not in a position to specify the exact number to be recruited this year. The resources available for paid training, taking account of the recruitment that is under way, are being closely monitored. The situation with regard to promotion in the reserve will be also reviewed in this context in the period ahead.
We have touched on this matter in our previous supplementary questions to the Minister. It is important that he would make some progress on the RDF's promotional structure and on rewarding its volunteers.
Reverting to Deputy Stanton's comments, there is a feeling that, due to the attitude taken towards the RDF in recent years, it is undervalued and that its role has been trivialised. This is the feedback I am getting from people within the RDF. Like them, I am committed to the concept. Across the world, reserve defence forces play a critical role in overseas missions. I refer to the forces of America, England and elsewhere. Rather than diminishing the RDF's role, we should enhance, encourage and support it. The diminution of its role or giving the impression, albeit not publicly, that the RDF has no great role would be unfortunate.
Has the moratorium on recruitment and promotions affected the future prospects of RDF personnel serving abroad?
I agree with Deputy Deenihan regarding the promotional structure, which is under consideration. Any perception that the reserve is being undervalued is mistaken. An entire section of the White Paper addressed the reserve and made various recommendations. For example, the recommended re-organisation has been undertaken. The White Paper recommended better uniforms, training, systems of gratuities and so on. All of these have been followed. The White Paper was ambitious in some respects. As I have told Deputy Stanton, integration has not occurred to the extent preferred. However, a follow-on White Paper on defence next year will deal with this issue.
I have the highest regard for the reserve. When the moratorium was introduced, the Department of Finance took the view that it should apply to everyone, including the reserve. I managed to overturn that decision, one of the first breaches of the moratorium. I did this to indicate the high regard in which I held the reserve and the fact that I did not want to see its numbers further depleted.
Deputy Deenihan asked a question on serving abroad. Since members of the RDF are not entitled to serve overseas statutorily, we are hoping to recruit into the Permanent Defence Force, PDF, on a temporary basis members of the RDF who had signed up to go abroad. Obviously, this idea is affected by the moratorium. As I have made certain recommendations to the Minister for Finance regarding the moratorium, let us see what occurs.
We have six minutes remaining, but I am anxious to facilitate everyone who wants to speak.
I appreciate that. We should compliment the Minister on overturning the moratorium in respect of the RDF. Obviously, he does not have exact figures, but could he give the Dáil a ballpark estimate of the number of RDF places that might become available for recruitment in the course of the year? I understand that quite a number of people were well down the road of the recruitment process, which is long and drawn out, when the moratorium was introduced. Would it not be fair and equitable that those people be given priority for whatever places might become available during the year?
I agree with the latter point. Criteria have been drawn up by the director of the reserve and the questions of where people came in on the chain, whether they have had medicals done and when they applied will be important. I understand it will be done in chronological order.
I do not want to get specific about numbers. How many we will take on depends on how many drop out or join the non-effective list. We started the year with 7,575 members, give or take one or two. This year, my policy is to ensure numbers do not fall below that figure. To the extent that people leave and that figure is reduced, they can and will be replaced.
The Minister has told us that there are 300 members in the integrated reserve, which he admits is disappointing because it was expected that there would be more. He admitted that he has learned lessons. He might share some of those lessons with the House at some stage. Why is some use not being made of the 300 even in barrack duties or in some way to act as a backup to the Permanent Defence Force, PDF? I assume that they are trained to a high level, on a par with the Permanent Defence Force. Why are they left there and not used in any meaningful way?
I will have to speak to the chief of staff about that. I understand that the Army command is considering ways in which it can make some use of the integrated reserve. I do not know why that has not happened to date. I will revert to the Deputy when I have spoken to the chief of staff about it. I think that perhaps the Army command was a little underwhelmed by the number of people it managed to recruit. More than 300 individuals have now been trained to a high degree, as Deputy Stanton indicated. We will speak to the Chief of Staff and get back to the Deputy on the matter.
Is the Minister aware that a number of individuals who are anxious to get into the reserve force here are going North to join the reserve force of another country? They find there is easier access and that the security clearance is much easier. The point was made that the moratorium did not apply to the Garda Reserve force because it is a voluntary, non-remunerated position. It appears the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform indicated that there would not be a halt to recruitment of members to the Garda Reserve. This seems to indicate a contradiction in Government policy between recruitment to the Reserve Defence Force and the Garda Reserve.
I am not an expert on how the Garda Reserve works but we have to be in a position whereby the money we are allocated each year for paid training days is sufficient to accommodate the number of people we have on the books. That is our duty. It would be irresponsible of me to say that we can recruit 1,000 or 2,000 people more than those for whom we can provide a reasonable number of paid training days. The Reserve Defence Force must undertake an essential minimum level of training. That is the position. The original ruling that we got from the Department of Finance was that the moratorium applied across the board. I managed to get that lifted. Let us see what happens with my submission on the Permanent Defence Forces. We will take it from there.
I thank the Minister for his reply. Does he agree that the fact that no use is being made of the reservists who are integrated and highly trained could act as a deterrent to people applying for the reserve or for integration? Does the Minister agree that those people are committed, dedicated and anxious to serve in some way? If no use is made of them, and they are just allowed to sit around, that could be a reason the Minister has a problem with applications in the first place. I emphasise the need to use those people and not to have the resources that went into their training go to waste.
I assure the House that the Army has every intention of making the fullest possible use of the people who have been trained as members of the integrated reserve. I will speak to the Chief of Staff about when that will happen and over what timescale and I will revert to the Deputy.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.