Parliamentary questions

188. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Defence the way in which light tactical armoured vehicles typically equipped with remote weapons stations for machine guns or grenade launchers can be classified as non-lethal military aid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54181/26]

189. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Defence the plans the Defence Forces now have for light tactical armoured vehicles which were offered to Ukraine but rejected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54227/26]

190. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence her views on the matter of entry-level cadet pay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54264/26]

191. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Defence the preparations being made by the Defence Forces to support security arrangements during Ireland's forthcoming EU Presidency. [53651/26]

192. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Defence to detail the work she has carried out to investigate and tackle misogyny in the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54225/26]

193. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Defence to report on any progress made in exploring the expansion of the State’s existing naval infrastructure, including exploring the potential for forward operating bases on the east coast; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53963/26]

194. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Defence the way in which her Department is preparing the Defence Forces for the increasing role of drones, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in modern defence and security; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54053/26]

195. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Defence the way in which the new Maritime Strategy will address current maritime defence and surveillance deficiencies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53900/26]

196. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Defence the measures she is taking to address long-standing issues with internal workplace culture in the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53937/26]

197. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Defence the specific matters discussed between representatives of the Government and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, or representatives of the Government of Ukraine, concerning the proposed drone deal during the President's recent visit to Ireland; the proposals made to Ireland; the technologies, capabilities or programmes discussed; and if she will …

236. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Defence her Department’s plans are to improve the quality and collection of statistics relating to Defence Forces recruitment and retention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54534/26]

237. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Defence the number of EU Presidency policy and administrative officers now employed on temporary contracts across her Department, in Ireland and abroad; if these individuals can apply to internal civil service competitions for these temporary contracts; the plans being developed to retain these individuals once their contracts cease, given they …

238. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Defence the position regarding all actions in each of the Climate Action Plans 2021 to 2025 under the remit of her Department; to provide a breakdown of the legacy actions remaining, broken down by the year of the climate action plan they were initially included in; and the estimated timelines for completion, in tabular form. [54625/26]

95. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Defence the number of external competitions held for external applications to apply for instruments posts within the Defence Forces in each of the years of 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; and the number of persons who applied for each of those competitions, in tabular form. [52713/26]

96. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Defence the amount of extra capital and current funding allocated to the Defence Forces during Ireland's Presidency of the EU. [52714/26]

97. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence the estimated cost of creating a new rank of lance corporal as per the CODF; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52819/26]

98. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence the estimated cost of introducing long service increments to the pay scales of all ranks of enlisted personnel as per the CODF; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52820/26]

99. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence the estimated cost of replacing the existing APCs with a larger and enhanced fleet equipped with sufficient firepower for future overseas missions, and with 'level 4' armour across armour platforms where required as per the CODF; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52821/26]

100. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence the estimated cost of ensuring that all modern vessels be double crewed to ensure each vessel spends an absolute minimum of 220 days at sea per year, with this being phased in over the course of the vessel replacement programme as per the CODF; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52822/26]

101. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence the estimated cost of completing the latest steps in full primary radar picture as per the CODF; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52823/26]

102. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence the cost of enhancement of the Air Corps' fleet with the addition of two additional medium lift rotary wing aircraft for enhanced Defence Forces support and priority ATCA taskings as per the CODF; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52824/26]

103. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence the estimated cost of a further 100 additional specialist personnel as part of a Joint Cyber Defence Command managing cyber defence, defence IT services, and CIS services, as per the CODF; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52825/26]

104. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence the estimated cost of establishing an intelligence school, as per the CODF; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52826/26]

105. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Defence if there is a specific policy within her Department that seeks to preclude those elected to local authorities from any boards that she may appoint; the rationale behind any such policy; the way in which it aligns with encouraging participation in local government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52851/26]

106. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Defence to commit to preparing legislation to not automatically exclude members of local authorities from consideration for appointment to State boards; and to set out the reasons such persons would be excluded. [52869/26]