Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 July 2026
20. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Defence the key measures taken to support and expand the Reserve Defence Force since January 2025; her priorities for the rest of 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51929/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy key priority is the modernisation of our Defence Forces, and revitalising our Reserve Defence Forces is a vital part of that transformation process.
A key recommendation of the Commission on the Defence Forces (CoDF) for the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) was the establishment in 2022 of the Office of Reserve Affairs (ORA) to oversee and support a holistic approach to the revitalisation of the RDF. In July 2024, that Office published the RDF Regeneration and Development Plan which contains 27 individual Actions across four objectives - (i) Recruitment & Retention, (ii) Resourcing, (iii) Training & Education, and (iv) Integration & Deployment - and the Defence Forces advise that there has been significant progress made in respect of these actions.
In order to raise the public’s awareness of the opportunities available in the RDF, a considerable RDF advertising awareness campaign will be coordinated across all media modes later in 2026, including television and radio adverts.
A recent update on the Detailed Implementation Plan (DIP), which sets out the pathway to implement the CoDF recommendations and associated governance arrangement, detailed seven RDF specific actions which are scheduled to be completed or substantially progressed by the end of 2026, including: -
Skillset Profiling – A solution to enable the development of an RDF skills portal, that provides the skillsets of RDF members to relevant Defence Force personnel, is being developed.
Lateral Entry Mechanisms into the RDF – Consideration of proposals to enable the lateral entry of enlisted personnel into the RDF is being progressed.
RDF Deployment policy – The recent application of Supplemental Military Service provisions regularises RDF activities in support the Permanent Defence Force.
Mechanism to support a diverse RDF - The Defence Forces are implementing initiatives contained in the current RDF Recruitment Strategy.
Increased direct entry recruitment to the RDF – The Direct Entry mechanism has been enabled and consideration is currently being given to the direct entry commissioning of 6 individuals into the RDF. Further enhancement will include direct entry at non-commissioned ranks.
Reserve Recruitment Plan – this is complete and is being implemented by the Defence Forces.
Employment Protection Legislation – My Department will complete a further evaluation of Employment Protection Legislation. Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is ongoing and it is planned to host a series of meetings with stakeholders and ‘Business in the Communities’ in Quarter 3 2026. These meetings will also include discussions on supports for Irish SMEs who facilitate staff to be members of the RDF. Proposals will be brought forward for my approval by end Q2 2027.
Finally, a clear indication of my commitment to the support and revitalising of our Reserve Defence Force is the substantial expansion of the RDF budget, which continues to increase in pace with the enhanced role of the RDF and increased from €3.542m in 2025 to €4.535m for 2026.
