The Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality will consider the Value for Money report on the Reserve Defence Force with the Minister for Defence Alan Shatter TD and also with also with representatives from the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association tomorrow, Wednesday 24th April 2013.
The Committee will meet with Minister Shatter from 9.30-10.45am and with the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association from 2-5.30pm. Both meetings will take place in Committee Room 2, Leinster House.
Committee Chairman David Stanton, TD, said: “The Reserve Defence Force was set up in 2005, replacing the Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil. It has played a very important role in providing back-up to the Permanent Defence Forces. Under this Value for Money report, the new restructured reserve force will be capped at 4,000 personnel and it will see an end of standalone reserve units and the introduction of a single force concept of a Permanent Defence Force with reserve components. As the Committee with a remit in the area of defence, we are looking forward to considering this value for money report and discussing its recommendations with the Minister and also with representatives from the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association. These meetings follow on from the Committee’s visit to the Glen of Imaal last week to review a Mission Readiness Exercise by the 108th Infantry Battalion which will be deployed on peacekeeping duties in Lebanon with the United Nations. The Committee has also visited Collins Barracks, the National Maritime College in Ringaskiddy and the Naval Base, Haulbowline in Cork to be briefed on the work carried out at these facilities. The Committee is committed to visiting as many of these facilities as possible and also to reviewing our various military formations so that we are fully informed on the important work that our military personnel undertake on behalf of the State.”
Committee proceedings can be followed live at: http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/watchlisten/
