John Connolly
Ceist:133. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Defence her plans for an expanded Naval Reserve presence in Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33297/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 7 May 2026
Ceisteanna (133)
Freagraí scríofa
My key priority is the modernisation of our Defence Forces, and revitalising our Reserve Defence Forces is a vital part of that transformation process.
The Reserve Defence Force (RDF) Regeneration Plan, published in July 2024, coordinates 27 actions across four objectives [(i) Recruitment & Retention, (ii) Resourcing, (iii) Training & Education, and (iv) Integration & Deployment], to modernise the RDF and ensure it can seamlessly train, operate, and deploy with the Permanent Defence Force.
Furthermore 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.
As the Deputy is aware, one of the key recommendations from the Commission on the Defence Forces Report is to increase the future RDF establishment strength to include at a minimum, a Navy Reserve of 400.
The military authorities have advised that, under this expansion, additional Naval Service Reserve units may be considered in suitable coastal centres with port access. Options are being examined in the context of the wider transformation of the Defence Forces by the Defence Force's force design teams.