John Brady
Ceist:409. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the current strength of the Reserve Defence Force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4523/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 31 January 2023
Ceisteanna (409)
Freagraí scríofa
The Reserve Defence Force (RDF) is comprised of the First Line Reserve, the Army Reserve (AR) and the Naval Service Reserve (NSR). The White Paper on Defence is clear that there is a continued requirement to retain and develop the RDF and the Government remains committed to the advancement of the Reserve.
The strength of the Reserve Defence Force, as of 31 December 2022, is set out below:
|
Service |
Total Effective Personnel |
|
Army Reserve |
1,415 |
|
Naval Reserve |
103 |
|
First Line Reserve |
280 |
The Deputy will be aware that the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces contains many detailed recommendations, including on the future structure and role of the RDF.
A High Level Action Plan (HLAP) that sets out the Government’s response to the Report has been approved, with a number of specific initiatives in relation to the Reserve Defence Force. These include the immediate commencement of planning for the establishment of an Office of Reserve Affairs with the priority objective of developing a regeneration plan for the RDF.
The Deputy may also be aware that the 2022 recruitment drive for the RDF was advertised across a number of media channels. Recruit Liaison Officers across the Reserve conducted local recruitment to attract applicants for this campaign and over 1000 applications were received, which is very encouraging.
In 2022, to the end of year, 90 RDF recruits were inducted into the Defence Forces and the processing of eligible applicants is continuing. The military authorities have advised me that once this body of work is completed, consideration will be given to the launch of a further recruitment campaign in mid 2023.