Parliamentary questions

196. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the initiatives the Government is pursuing to address the challenges of recruitment and retention within the Defence Forces; and if, from his time at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, he has considered how education and defence can be linked to make the armed forces even more attract…

197. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to outline the current situation with respect to recruitment to both the Permanent and Reserve Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18016/25]

198. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the action he is taking to improve retention levels in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17828/25]

199. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence when the professional instructor payment, committed to by the Government, will be paid to commissioned officer instructors in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18070/25]

200. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will support and simplify the application process for funding in respect of overseas veterans (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18064/25]

201. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the position regarding the development of a naval base in Dún Laoghaire Harbour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17916/25]

202. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the progress made to date in respect of the establishment of an independent external complaints system for serving members in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18006/25]

203. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will report on his recent visit to Lebanon; on the engagement he had with his counterparts in the Lebanese Government, particularly regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and on his views on how conditions could be improved for Irish Defence Forces personnel serving on peacekeeping duties there; and if he will mak…

204. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will report on his Department’s discussions with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to secure berthage space in Dún Laoghaire harbour for the Naval Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17725/25]

205. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he is examining the feasibility of developing new accommodation for military personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18021/25]

206. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence when a company (details supplied) was appointed to advise on expanding Ireland’s military; the terms of the contract, including the cost and duration of the contract; the way in which the company was identified as the preferred provider of such services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18048/25]

207. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will outline, in view of the strong desire to increase the number of serving members in Óglaigh na hÉireann, the steps his Department is taking as part of the recruitment and retention strategy to encourage more people to join; to outline, in particular, the steps being taken to encourage more women to join and serve…

208. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will outline the future plans for Baldonnel Aerodrome; the number of personnel stationed there; if there are plans to increase this number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17744/25]

209. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence for an update on plans to audit the existing military estate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18020/25]

210. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will provide clarification on the Government's position regarding the ability of the UN General Assembly to give approval for more than 12 Irish troops to be deployed on overseas missions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16921/25]

211. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the up-to-date position on risk assessments carried out this year on the safety impact to Irish peacekeeping troops serving in Lebanon on their monitoring of the blue line demarcation between Lebanon and Israel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17994/25]

212. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if expenditure under Vote 35 is taken into account when calculating Ireland’s defence expenditure as a share of national income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17689/25]

213. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of residential Defence Forces buildings currently not habitable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18073/25]

214. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will commit to a public plebiscite on the question of the removal of the triple lock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17086/25]

215. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the measures his Department will take to improve pay and conditions of the Defence Forces over the term of Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17745/25]

238. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if there is a hierarchy of undersea cable infrastructure in terms of protection; to outline the State's plans to protect the undersea networks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17132/25]

239. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence whether other countries participating in the 2025 EU battlegroup have raised issues with his Department with the triple lock; if he will provide details of any such engagement;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18308/25]

240. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of IT projects within his Department, or bodies under its aegis, which have been allocated funds in excess of €1 million in the years 2020 to date; the purpose of any projects; the initial estimate to complete for such projects; the total amount expended to date; the total estimated cost to complete; the estimated tim…

241. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the progress made on the implementation of the rulings of the Adjudicator and Arbitration Board regarding the prohibition of the appointment holder of the Director of Military Prosecutions from being a member of a representative association; whether he will implement those rulings immediately by amending the relevant ter…

242. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the progress that made on completing the review of Defence Forces medical services; when that review will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23121/25]