119. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence to provide an update on recruitment numbers for the Defence Forces as of July 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54380/26]
Parliamentary questions
Questions
TDs ask ministers questions to get answers on the record, most of them in writing. Here is every one asked in the 34th Dáil, by the department it went to and the subject heading it was filed under. How questions work
Browse the questions
Showing questions asked by Duncan Smith .
60 questions match, newest first.
155. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence her Department’s assessment on the greatest obstacles to retention in the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43411/26]
172. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence if the Government is prepared to utilise EU funding to increase defence spending; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43410/26]
175. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence her views on concerns from members of the Defence Forces, on the publishing of names of Defence Force officers involved in sensitive operations under EU regulations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43409/26]
174. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence her views on calls from the Spanish Government about the need for an EU army; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38525/26]
66. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the timeline for the increase of cadet pay in the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33427/26]
72. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence her views on the release of figures that show that Ireland continues to languish at the bottom of the EU table for defence expenditure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33417/26]
78. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the reason the conciliation and arbitration scheme for the permanent Defence Force has been without an adjudicator since June 2025; when an adjudicator will be appointed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33416/26]
91. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the way in which the process for the Army to be deployed to aid the Gardaí in operations should take place; her views on whether this process was adequately followed in terms of the recent request in relation to fuel protests; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33418/26]
97. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the reason Ireland’s €19 million anti-drone system which was initially intended to be in place in time for the EU presidency is now not expected to be in operation until September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33419/26]
104. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence to provide an update on her commitment to produce legislation to underpin the appointment of and status of military chaplains including mechanism for representation by a Defence Forces representative association; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33415/26]
32. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence if she will consider allowing people who have moved to Ireland under an EU Directive (details supplied) to join the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31068/26]
141. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence if her Department will now commit to paying members of the Defence Forces premiums for public holidays and overtime following the decision by the European Committee of Social Rights, which said both the prohibition on overtime across the Defence Forces and the lack of adequate provision for payment of public holiday premiums were breaches of the Social Charter; …
167. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence if a costing has been done to provide members of the Defence Forces as part of the security apparatus for an event (details supplied); if so, the costs; and to provide costings for the role of the Defence Forces in the visit of President Biden and President Zelensky; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12529/26]
172. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence if recent reporting that the Defence Forces have informed the Gardaí that they are unable to provide anti-drone security for EU Presidency meetings is accurate; if so, the reason this is the case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12530/26]
204. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the number of applicants who succeeded, withdrew or were rejected at each individual stage of recruitment for the Defence forces, for each of the years 2022 to 2025, in tabular form; the way these compare to other EU nations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12528/26]
207. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence if her Department will accelerate the recommendations in the Commission on the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12527/26]
231. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the way her Department will close the gap between the current strength of the Defence Forces and the establishment strength of the Defence Forces, with a 2000 personnel shortfall; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12526/26]
86. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence to provide an update on the drone activity during the visit of President Zelenskyy; to give clarity on the decision to not intercept these drones; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72153/25]
242. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence to provide clarity on any correspondence from her Department and the US administration in regard to the defence of sub-sea cables off the Irish coast; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72286/25]
243. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the plans that are in place to keep members of the Defence Forces operationally ready once peacekeepers are withdrawn from Lebanon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72287/25]
244. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence if her Department will release footage of the drone activity during the visit of President Zelenskyy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72288/25]
245. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence if her Department was involved in the figure of €750 being offered to victims of the HSE cyber-attacks; if her Department has developed a rate for which they are prepared to offer victims of future cyber-attacks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72289/25]
270. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to give an update on his Department’s meeting with the developer of the search and rescue service at Weston Airport, to address concerns of the Air Corps in relation to the need to prevent unauthorised penetrations of military airspace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62037/25]
11. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the current levels of staffing in the naval force as of October 2025; the operational capacity of current staffing levels in regard to naval vessels; the timeframe for recruitment to ensure operation of all existing vessels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60493/25]