Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 December 2025
127. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Defence the measures her Department is taking to ensure the budget for the Reserve Defence Force will be sufficient for the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72679/25]
View answerA key priority for me, as Minister for Defence, is the modernisation of our Defence Forces, and revitalising our Reserve Defence Forces (RDF) is a vital part of that transformation process. The RDF Regeneration and Development Plan contains concrete actions to drive forward recruitment and retention, resourcing, training and education and integration and deployment.
It is essential that this transformation process is adequately underpinned by a robust budget and, in that context, I can assure the Deputy that the budget for the RDF is is closely monitored, on an ongoing basis, jointly by my officials and the Defence Forces Office of Reserve Affairs.
The success of this process, and evidence of the increased interest in the Reserve Defence Force (RDF), was reflected when the original 2024 budget allocation for the RDF was proactively increased in Q4 2024 to meet evolving levels of RDF activity, with a further increase requested and sanctioned in the latter part of the year. The budget was further increased to €3.5m for 2025 and will be increased again for 2026.
The initiatives contained in the RDF Regeneration and Development Plan are generating positive change and increased momentum towards a regenerated, trained and capable RDF to support the Permanent Defence Forces and the work in 2026 will build on that success.
