Reserves are always willing to answer the call

I FEEL compelled to reply to Aisling Murphy (Letters, Nov 9). She asked how many Reserve Defence Forces (RDF) personnel turned in during the bad weather last winter.

We all did, as we were not asked to turn ‘out’. Similarly, we weren’t asked to turn out for Queen Elizabeth’s or President Obama’s visits which ran up a bill of €31m. The RDF were available if asked and could have carried out a lot of the security duties at a fraction of the cost and drain on resources if they were asked.

Ms Murphy also states the RDF is costing €15m to maintain. It’s not the RDF that is costing the €15m but all the Lt Colonels and their associated staff.The RDF is well capable of functioning without any of these 116 LGs.