Army reserves at just a third of full strength

Army Reserve well below full strength. File photo

The country's second line of defence has been depleted to such an extent the Army's Reserve is now nearly a third of its proper strength and association which represents them says Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney, needs to address this as a matter of urgency.

When the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association (RDFRA) met with Mr Coveney in February 2015 to discuss a meaningful role for its members, the Army Reserve had 2,001 personnel and the Naval Service Reserve had 126.