Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 March 2026
20. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the ratio of Reserve Defence Forces personnel to Permanent Defence Force personnel as of the most recent available date; how this compares to comparable EU member states; what target ratio the Department considers appropriate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17552/26]
View answerThe Government acknowledges the importance of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) as a voluntary organisation and as an key asset for the State. The last two years have witnessed a resurgence in the RDF.
The strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) as of 31 January 2026 stood at 7,767 personnel. At 31 January 2026, the Reserve Defence Force First line Reserve (FLR) stood at 204 personnel and 1,607 Second Line Reserve (SLR) personnel which is comprised of 1,473 Army Reserve (AR) and 134 Naval Service Reserve (NSR) personnel. Therefore the the current ratio of PDF personnel to RDF personnel is 4.3:1.
I am advised that the Defence Forces do not hold data on ratios pertaining to full-time to reserve personnel in other EU militaries.
The Reserve Defence Force (RDF) Regeneration Plan published in July 2024, contains 27 actions across four objectives, namely: Recruit & Retain; Resource; Train & Educate and Integrate & Deploy.
Implementation of the regeneration plan is being monitored to address any blockages arising and to ensure progress across the 27 actions. One of the 4 operational objectives is to improve the induction process with the aim of achieving an effective strength of 80% by 2028. Recruitment increased substantially in 2024 and continues to gain momentum with approx. 300 applicants in pre-induction training at the end of 2025. This growth will be reflected in the 2026 strength figures.
Other areas of work underway in the Reserve Defence Force sphere include:
• A new RDF Recruitment system, which will result in a more streamlined and user-friendly process for applicants;
• A significant RDF advertising awareness campaign is in the final stages of development. This will be coordinated across all media modes including television and radio adverts, to raise the public’s awareness of the opportunities available in the RDF;
• A substantial expansion of the RDF budget which continues to increase in pace with the enhanced role of the RDF. To illustrate this, the budget allocation in 2025 was €3.542m and I have further increased it to €4.535m for 2026.
• To ensure the framework for the Reserve is fit for purpose a review of the current legal and policy framework governing the RDF is underway. The second part of this review will focus on options for employment protection legislation.
The Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces (CODF) is clear that there is a continued requirement to regenerate and revitalise the RDF. One of my key goals as Minister for Defence, is the development of a Reserve Force that can seamlessly train, operate and deploy on a voluntary basis, with the Permanent Defence Force, both on-island and overseas.
