148. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the number of people currently enlisted in the Reserve Defence Force; the measures that will be taken to increase the number enlisted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12482/26]
Sentiment score: 0.20
This is the first opportunity I have had in this House to wish the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, well with their very important work in the Department of Defence. The implementation plan for the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, published in November 2023, stated very clearly that the Reserve Defence Force, RDF, needs to be revitalised. For far too long, numbers have been much too low in the RDF. Will the Minister of State outline what particular measures he hopes to take to increase substantially the numbers participating in the important work the Reserve Defence Force carries out throughout the country?
Sentiment score: 0.47
I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I sincerely hope that the laudable objectives he outlined from the RDF regeneration development plan, which was published in July 2024, are implemented with as much impetus as possible. It is extremely important that we increase the numbers. The RDF should have a greater presence throughout the country and in each community. Deputy Crowe and I were on the foreign affairs and defence committee from 2016 to 2020. At that time, as Cathaoirleach of the committee, I invited the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association, RDFRA, to come before the committee. We gave its representatives an opportunity to outline the particular issues which, in the RDFRA's view, faced the RDF at that time. One of the issues, as the Minister of State noted, was the need for better advertising campaigns for recruitment and better support to ensure that retention levels are improved. By and large, the Reserve Defence Force costs the State very little. The State could be much more generous in paying people for the time they are losing in their day jobs. In many instances, they have to undergo additional medical checks. The payments they get for those medical checks do not even pay the GP for the medical examination. Those types of things are small from the State's point of view but they are big to the individuals and addressing them could help to increase both retention and recruitment.
Sentiment score: 0.36
As regards the Minister of State's final comments with regard to the review of particular services that can be remunerated, I hope that issue can be addressed. As the Minister of State knows, I grew up on the Border. I saw the importance of the Reserve Defence Force. In many instances, good members of the community got young people who may have been in certain difficulty into the Reserve Defence Force. The young people enjoyed the training and benefited a great deal from it. Many of them went on to serve in the Permanent Defence Force. Were it not for that conduit and avenue they had to enlist in the Reserve Defence Force, acquire training and skills and discipline in their life, God knows what would have happened to them. Many people I know from the community along the Border where I grew up went on to serve this State, both at home and abroad, with great distinction and commitment. I remember referring to that one day at a committee meeting and many former members of the Army at all levels contacted me afterwards to say we should never forget the importance of the Reserve Defence Force in giving some young people who may have been vulnerable and came from what would be termed disadvantaged homes the opportunity to participate in the RDF and go on to very good and successful careers in the Permanent Defence Force and other trades and professions as well.
Sentiment score: 0.47
First, I apologise for the absence of Deputy McGreehan, who has another commitment that clashed with the timing of questions here. Three of us here, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and I, are from the north east and any investment in Louth is important for our respective counties as well. Of course, I am thinking of Aiken Barracks, Dundalk, where many people from my constituency serve as well. It is important for County Meath as well. I sincerely hope that where investment is needed in that key military installation it would be forthcoming.
Sentiment score: 0.55
I thank the Minister for her response. Our colleague, Deputy McGreehan, will be glad to hear of the Minister's commitment to further investment in Aiken Barracks. I am glad that the Minister emphasised that accommodation needs to be upgraded. As a member of the then Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence some years ago, I had the opportunity to visit some barracks and I have to say I was very disappointed with the quality of some of the living accommodation. In the meantime, I had a lot of engagement with the Taoiseach, as Minister for Defence, and with the Tánaiste, as Minister for Defence. Both of them had directed substantial additional funding - much necessary investment - in living accommodation and in the general barracks. As the Minister said, people are working in that environment. They are living in that environment. Most people nowadays come from homes that are of a good quality. I have heard young recruits go into some of the barracks and to be fair about it, their living accommodation was not acceptable. I know the barracks. It takes huge investment. They are old buildings. It is not easy to upgrade them. It costs a lot of money but it is a very necessary investment in our Permanent Defence Force. It acts as an attractive measure if there is decent living accommodation while a person is being upskilled and being trained to be a member of our Defence Forces.
Sentiment score: 0.21
I thank the Minister for her response. Deputy Timmins quite rightly referred to investment in cybersecurity. We all agree with that and we know the urgency of it. In the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces of 2022, the preferred enlistment is 11,500 by 2028. That is the target that was outlined in that report. To cater for that enlistment that I sincerely hope will be reached and exceeded, additional accommodation is needed. The most modern barracks in Europe was Dún Uí Néill, Cavan, which, unfortunately, was closed in 2012. The buildings are still there intact. Quite a number of them are not being used for any particular purpose. I put forward to the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach, both of them in the Department of Defence, that that particular military installation should be utilised again by the State for defence purposes. I do not expect the Minister to answer on this specifically this evening. There was a huge corporate knowledge acquired by members of the Defence Forces when they were based in Dún Uí Néill Barracks in Cavan right through the central Border area. As the Minister will be aware, the military barracks is Finner Camp in south Donegal and there is nothing in the central Border region until we go over to the east, to Aiken Barracks.
Sentiment score: 0.17
What I have suggested, and some of the senior Army personnel at a committee said should be considered, and I would hope the Minister would ask her Department officials to consider, is that Dún Uí Néill could be opened again as a forward operating base-----
Sentiment score: 0.44
-----where members of the Defence Forces could acquaint themselves with the topography and detailed knowledge of that Border region because we are in a difficult security situation and we never know what is ahead of us.
Sentiment score: 0.08
151. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the measures being taken to increase recruitment into the Permanent Defence Force; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12481/26]
Sentiment score: 0.16
As the Minister is well aware, the Commission on the Defence Forces produced a very important strategy in 2022, and the subsequent implementation plan outlined a series of measures that needed to be taken to strengthen our Defence Forces. One of the key issues was the whole area of recruitment and retention of personnel. I welcome the progress that has been made, but I am sure the Minister will be the first to admit it is slower than any of us want. Are there any particular measures the Minister can introduce in 2026 to improve both recruitment and retention?
Sentiment score: 0.50
I thank the Minister for her reply. Again, it is important we recognise there has been stabilisation in the whole defence numbers, with a welcome increase also. Recent programmes for Government gave a welcome commitment to build on improvements in the recruitment process and, as the Minister rightly referred to, better representation of women at all levels of the Defence Forces. Are there any particular additional measures being proposed this year to implement those commitments? Some years ago, there was a ludicrous position where people had to leave after 20 years and there was the age limit. Are there any considerations being given to changing the age limit with regard to retirement? When we had a very heavy Army presence in the Cavan-Monaghan area with two barracks, many relatively young people, unfortunately, had to leave the Army because they reached a certain age.
Sentiment score: 0.24
I thank the Minister and very much welcome her emphasis on a greater increase in diversity within the Defence Forces. In my constituency, my colleague Senator Diarmuid Wilson is a member of the defence and security committee and attended the event in Renmore Barracks last week. Several people referred to that particular event over the weekend at clinics and other gatherings I was at. This shows the general interest among the public in the well-being of our Defence Forces. It was good to see those people, the chaplain and his colleagues, being honoured in view of the very serious incident they faced. It is important that that good message, that the State looks after its members and cares for those who have faced particular challenges and have shown great bravery, is put out in the public domain. That was a good event and great credit is due to the Army and Department of Defence in organising it. People should be honoured when they go beyond the call of duty and take on specific challenges.
Sentiment score: 0.61