Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 May 2025
180. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the current strength of the Naval Service reserve; the actions being taken to support recruitment and retention; and to set out the strategy to maintain and expand the reserve’s role in national maritime security. [21939/25]
View answerThe strength of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) is a key focus of the Defence Forces Office of Reserve Affairs (ORA), which published the RDF Regeneration and Development Plan (RDFRDP), in July 2024. This Plan has 27 actions, to drive forward recruitment and retention; resourcing; training and education; as well as integration and deployment, with the ultimate goal of developing a Reserve Force that can seamlessly train, operate and deploy on a voluntary basis with the Permanent Defence Force, both nationally and overseas.
The current strength of the Naval Service Reserve, as of 31 March 2025, is 118 personnel. Measures that continue to support recruitment and retention in the RDF include:
• The increase in upper recruitment and mandatory retirement ages for the RDF to match comparable increases for the Permanent Defence Force.
• The implementation of a ‘Managed Induction Process’, whereby a Recruitment Liaison Officer (RLO) maintains contact with applicants throughout the induction process to facilitate an expeditious and efficient recruitment process from application to attestation.
• An on-boarding process which enables candidates undergo pre-attestation recruit training.
The CoDF recommendations relating to the structure and strength of the RDF, have included increasing the establishment of the Navy Reserve from 200 to 400 personnel. The Regeneration Plan recognises that a transformation of the force structure and strength is required for the development of the RDF and Action 22 relates specifically to the transformation of the Naval Service Reserve.
In that context, and within the framework of overall recommendations of the CoDF, the military authorities have advised that as part of the overall Naval Service re-design process, the structure and expansion of the Naval Service Reserve is to be considered.
