Defence Forces
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-17
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Brendan Smith (FF), Cavan-Monaghan

As regards the Minister of State's final comments with regard to the review of particular services that can be remunerated, I hope that issue can be addressed. As the Minister of State knows, I grew up on the Border. I saw the importance of the Reserve Defence Force. In many instances, good members of the community got young people who may have been in certain difficulty into the Reserve Defence Force. The young people enjoyed the training and benefited a great deal from it. Many of them went on to serve in the Permanent Defence Force. Were it not for that conduit and avenue they had to enlist in the Reserve Defence Force, acquire training and skills and discipline in their life, God knows what would have happened to them.
Many people I know from the community along the Border where I grew up went on to serve this State, both at home and abroad, with great distinction and commitment. I remember referring to that one day at a committee meeting and many former members of the Army at all levels contacted me afterwards to say we should never forget the importance of the Reserve Defence Force in giving some young people who may have been vulnerable and came from what would be termed disadvantaged homes the opportunity to participate in the RDF and go on to very good and successful careers in the Permanent Defence Force and other trades and professions as well.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:38+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-17