Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 September 2025
57. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the total number in the Reserve Defence Forces at present; the way in which that compares with five years ago and ten years ago; the measures in place to encourage recruitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49037/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe military authorities have provided the following table that outlines the strengths requested. The military authorities have also advised that a review of the strength figures is currently underway and therefore the figures provided below may be subject to change.
|
Year |
Army Reserve |
Naval Service Reserve |
First Line Reserve |
|
2015 |
2,159 |
143 |
243 |
|
2020 |
1,583 |
129 |
290 |
|
2025 (31AUG25) |
1,497 |
125 |
207 |
The military authorities further advise that the strength of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) was at it's lowest in 2022. The strength of the RDF is a key focus of the Defence Forces Office of Reserve Affairs (ORA) which was established in line with a recommendation from the Commission on the Defence Forces (CoDF).
One of the priorities of the Defence Forces Office of Reserve Affairs (ORA) was the development of the Reserve Defence Forces (RDF) Regeneration and Development Plan (RDFRDP), published in July 2024, which coordinates 27 individual actions to drive forward recruitment and retention; resourcing; training and education; as well as integration and deployment - the 4 operational objectives of the plan. Each of the 27 actions contribute to 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.
Examples of recruitment measures that continue to support this objective include the increase in upper recruitment and mandatory retirement ages, implementation of a ‘managed Induction Process’ and the on boarding process which enables candidates to undergo pre-attestation recruit training.
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.
