Reserve Defence Forces strength

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For Written Answer on : 15/09/2021
Question Number(s): 373 Question Reference(s): 43307/21
Department: Defence
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Defence the current strength of the Reserve Defence Forces by rank; the establishment of the Reserve Defence Forces by rank; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

The Reserve Defence Force (RDF) is comprised of the First Line Reserve (FLR), the Army Reserve (AR) and the Naval Service Reserve (NSR). 

The effective strength of the Army Reserve (AR) and Naval Service Reserve (NSR) as of 31 July, 2021, is 1,513 in total, broken down by rank as follows: 

	LT COL	COMDT	CAPT	LT	TOTAL OFFR	SM	BQMS	CS	CQMS	SGT	CPL	TOTAL NCO	PTE	TOTAL
AR	5	44	81	92	222	1	3	29	32	252	214	531	639	1392
NSR	0	4	7	11	22	0	4	4	0	13	13	34	65	121

The substantive strength of the FLR as of 31 July, 2021, is 263, broken down by rank as follows:

FORMATION	OFFR	NCO	PTE	TOTAL
ARMY		13	119	132
AIR   CORPS		4	19	23
NAVAL   SERVICE	3	17	88	108
TOTAL	3	34	226	263

Defence Force Regulation CS4 determines the regulatory establishment limits for the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) and the RDF. The establishment figure for the RDF as provided in this Regulation, is 4,069 personnel comprising 3,869 for the Army Reserve (AR), and 200 for the Naval Service Reserve. (NSR). There is no set establishment for the FLR. The combined establishment of the AR and NSR, by rank, as detailed in Defence Force Regulation CS4 is as follows: 

Rank	Total
Lieutenant   Colonel Commandant Captain Lieutenants	5 64 127 110
Total Officers	306
Sergeant Major Battalion Quartermaster   Sergeant Company Sergeant Company Quartermaster   Sergeant Sergeant Corporal	1 4 46 38 317 740
Total Non Commissioned   Officers	1,146
Privates	2,617
Total  All Ranks	4,069