Fears reserve Defence Forces could cease to exist within three years

Reserve Defence Force Representative Association general secretary Neil Richardson said the reserve force is 3,250 short of the minimum it's supposed to have. Picture: Defence Forces 

The reserve Defence Forces could cease to exist within three years without a drastic intervention from the Government.

That is the stark warning from the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association (RDFRA) general secretary Neil Richardson, amid claims the back-up to the country’s ever-dwindling permanent Defence Forces is even more critically endangered than the regulars.

Mr Richardson said the reserves are short 3,250 of the minimum they’re supposed to have.

He told The Irish Examiner the reality is just 755 army reservists undertook paid training last year, along with only 64 reservists in the naval service.

The minimum strength of the army reserve should be 3,869 and the minimum for the naval service, 200.

The Government has previously promised to increase the naval reserve to a minimum of 400 and for the first time to create a new air corps reserve of 200.

However, the continued failure to implement many of the recommendations made by the expert group which compiled the much-hailed Commission on the Defence Forces report over a year ago means those targets are unlikely to be reached.

Mr Richardson said more than 1,000 people applied to join the reserve Defence Forces when a recruitment campaign was opened last March. 

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However, not long after, the Defence Forces closed the online application portal because it didn’t have the resources in place to deal with the response it got, he said.

As with previous recruitment campaigns, the lengthy delays once more resulted in a large number of applicants withdrawing as weeks turned into months and the Defence Forces still could not process them into the organisation.

“If only the resources were put in place to promptly induct these applicants into the RDF, the force would be well on its way to recovery,” Mr Richardson said.

The Commission on the Defence Forces recommended the formation of an Office of Reserve Affairs within the Defence Forces, to be set up by August 2022. 

“It still doesn’t exist,” he said.

Two years ago, the RDFRA carried out its own research which suggested that the reserve Defence Forces would cease to exist as an entity by 2026 unless dramatic action was taken to save the force.

“Sadly, we are still on track for this outcome,” Mr Richardson said.

Unlike the permanent Defence Forces, there are little or no issues with poor pay and allowances when it comes to the reserves.

Many possess good civilian jobs and are willing to give up weekends and holidays for training.

The combined deficit in minimum personnel numbers required to effectively operate the permanent Defence Forces and reserve Defence Forces is now approaching 4,750.