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right. This is a real issue which he has rightly challenged. We have made very good progress on recruitment and retention in the Defence Forces, but we have a lot more to do. The Deputy's question gets to the heart of the fact that the statistics … quote belie or ignore the fact there are real pinch points in respect of certain technical skills our Defence Forces require. When we lose those numbers of specialist personnel, we see how quickly it can cause real operational difficulties in Casement, as we have discussed this morning

that contingency arrangements are in place. The Deputy is right about how we need to look more at the pinch points in our Defence Forces in general, and I will come back to this in a moment. I expect significant restoration of services at Baldonnel to happen very … rapidly. I expect that to be the case because in my conversations with military leadership and the new Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, I was made aware that a number of air traffic controllers may leave the Air Corps to work in other environments, as they

past time that the Government got serious in the area of security and defence. We have a recruitment and retention crisis in our Defence Forces. Key personnel are leaving the Defence Forces and we need to put a halt to this. We need to ensure our Defence Forces

fully agree with the Deputy. My Department and the Defence Forces have been working in close collaboration with An Garda Síochána, the health service and the Air Corps to ensure contingency arrangements are in place while we resolve this pinch point. I had a good meeting with … excellent new Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Rossa Mulcahy. I wish him well in his role. My management board in the Department of Defence and I had an excellent meeting with him and the leadership of the Air Corps. There is a list of things that

Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration are also members of that council. Both the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces have current roles and responsibilities relating to national security, including the fact that the Secretary General of the Department of Defence and the Chief of Staff … range of relevant stakeholders, including both my Departments; the Department of justice; the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment; our Defence Forces; the Garda; and the National Cyber Security Centre. The preparation of a draft strategy covers a broad range of national security issues and it will

welcome that the Minister will engage with Defence Forces personnel regarding a base for the Naval Service Reserve in Galway. There is little coastal coverage for the Naval Service between Limerick and Donegal, which is quite a wide area. Some of the subsea cables to which the Minister … ones. Indeed, some cables come in north of Galway as well. One cable comes inland in County Mayo. Of course, Galway already has Defence Forces personnel within the city. We have Dún Uí Mhaoilíosa Barracks in Renmore, which the Minister has visited twice since his appointment

alluded to, I brought forward the general scheme of the defence (amendment) Bill 2025, which amends the legislation underpinning overseas deployments of the Defence Forces. This was agreed by Cabinet on 4 March. The Bill will, among other things, provide for the modification of the existing requirement regarding … dispatch of the Defence Forces for service outside the State as part of an international force. Under the current proposals in the general scheme to amend the existing legislation, the requirement for a UN mandate will be removed. I wish to again underline that the legislation in place

told this woman that he was untouchable. I am talking about sexual assault and very serious abuse. She reported him to the Defence Forces for sending pictures of guns to her in November 2022. She made statements to the military police. She still has not had an outcome … that case. She was told last July, when she pressed again, by the victim liaison officer of the Defence Forces that the investigation was complete and she would be sent the results. In response to a parliamentary question I put to the Tánaiste in April, I was told

highlighting this matter. There are a couple of things in this regard. The Deputy is right that the Commission on the Defence Forces recommended exactly what he said it did. I will bring forward, either over the summer or early in the autumn, the next iteration … implementation plan for the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces where we will take forward more recommendations. We are also looking at a new national security plan for Ireland more broadly, which will be co-ordinated by the Department of the Taoiseach. Its purpose will

council received a detailed, up-to-date briefing on the current security situation from An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces, and also on current cyberthreats. The council meeting also reviewed commitments relating to national security and defence set out in the programme for Government and re-emphasised … Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East, and the implications for Ireland; the ongoing work on the reform and modernisation of the Defence Forces; the continued development of the State’s cybersecurity capabilities; and the ongoing work to strengthen and modernise our security-related legislation. The preparation

place to examine this is because we should not just talk about recruitment and retention in general in respect of the Defence Forces. I hope and think we will be able to make more progress. We made some last year and I think we will make more this … year. The Deputy’s point about the deep dive into the specialist areas, the pinch points and how the Defence Forces are doing at a time when the country has full employment is important. These people are highly skilled. It is not really an issue to recruit them

with the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Ministers for foreign affairs, Defence, Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, the Secretaries General of those Departments, the Defence Forces Chief of Staff, the National Cyber Security Centre director, and the Taoiseach and Tánaiste's chiefs of staff also attending meetings … develop a new sonar system which will be a towed sonar capability. When attached to an Irish naval vessel, it will assist the Defence Forces with monitoring subsea areas in Ireland's exclusive economic zones. It will help with fisheries, drug and other criminal detection

maritime domain, which require addressing and this strategy. One other recommendation that came from the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces was that the powers required by the Naval Service for effective enforcement in support of national security in the maritime domain should be addressed … Maritime Safety Act 2005. Is a consolidating piece of legislation needed in this area? One further recommendation of the Commission on the Defence Forces was the development of a naval base for the Naval Service Reserve in Galway. This should form part of this strategy. The Naval Service

Cabinet. It is now a Government decision and it has been made. I have conveyed it to the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces and they can now, I say respectfully, get on with it in terms of engaging with any individuals who may benefit. I know … need to happen, many of which are on the operational side as well. I have said very clearly to the leadership of the Defence Forces and my own leadership that we need to see a rolling series of updates on what they are doing in implementing the various

service commitment levels in our last session. It reflects the fact that this is an issue across a number of areas in the Defence Forces for specialist personnel. There is severe competition with the private sector. It appears to have hit a particular pinch point in Baldonnel. This … others flagged that this issue has been brought to the attention of the Air Corps, of the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces more generally for some time now. When was the first recommendation made to the Government regarding a service level commitment for air traffic controllers

This untenable situation has led the Government to the decision that we need to change the legislation that governs how we despatch our Defence Forces overseas. The programme for Government clearly sets out this Government’s intention to reform the triple lock legislation and this is intended … international engagement, thereby allowing us to reinforce our sovereignty and have the Government and the Dáil make a decision to despatch the Defence Forces overseas. To address the question raised by Deputy O’Rourke and to clear up any misconceptions: the Bill proposes to amend the legislation

priority for me as Minister for Defence and for the Irish Government. I also thank their families for the sacrifices they make. To address the incident referred to, while the Irish patrol was not directly targeted by the Israel Defense Forces in the incident … regard to the deployment of our personnel in UNIFIL. The Department is also regularly kept apprised of all developments in those areas where Defence Forces personnel are deployed. There are robust force protection measures in place to support the security and safety of all personnel, and these measures

again raise the issue of Private Michael McNeela from Dundalk, who as a 21-year-old member of the Defence Forces made the ultimate sacrifice while peacekeeping in Lebanon. His mother, Kathleen, received an allowance or pension. Sadly, she died last year and Michael's father, John … number of engagements with the Tánaiste and officials on this. I know the Department of Social Protection was dealing with the Department of Defence. I am not very hopeful of that process providing a solution, although I am very glad it happened. I see the only solution being

forthcoming defence Bills. There are powers available to the Garda Commissioner that I believe the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces needs. Where allegations are made against somebody, the Chief of Staff needs to be able to take action in terms of his or her service

have been there. If you come there illegally, you will be moved on. That is absolutely crystal clear. I thank my officials, the Defence Forces, the Garda and everybody else who are making sure that the laws of this land get upheld. Of course, Deputy Ó Fearghaíl

those travelling for the purposes of training or carrying out terrorist offences when we do not put those travelling members of the Israel Defence Forces into that bracket. We all accept a genocide is ongoing. There is no greater terrorist on God’s green Earth than Israel

munitions of war at all. They can be personal, a weapon or a member of An Garda Síochána or the Defence Forces

Predator and Pegasus. What resources, capabilities and legislation do we require? Where is the crossover between the National Cyber Security Centre, the Defence Forces and the Department of justice? We want something that works. We all welcome the fact that we will have sonar capacity. We need

Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Defence; justice; and environment, climate and communications; An Garda Síochána; the National Cyber Security Centre; and the Defence Forces. We are going ahead with the smaller radar. In response to Deputy Ó Murchú, I have made my comments in terms of Israel

Corps. My Department is investing some €50 million in national defence infrastructure this year, with a further €12.5 million being provided to the Defence Forces on a fully delegated basis. In respect of Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel specifically, the following projects, costing a total of €5.8 million, have

Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the reason the arrangements between the Defence Forces and the Maltese Defence Forces whereby Maltese cadets receive training at the Curragh Camp has ceased; when this occurred; if he has plans to recommence the bilateral arrangements

Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the up-to-date figures relating to Defence Forces personnel who have left the Defence Forces broken down by service, rank and reserve or non-reserve status, by month from the period 2021 to date, in tabular form

Minister for Defence for an update on his plans to replace the Mowag Piranha and RG32M; the number of armoured vehicles the Defence Forces require following the recommendation of the Defence Forces Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29593/25

Maeve O'Connell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the status of the progress of his Department in increasing the future Reserve Defence Forces establishment strength as per a Commission on the Defence Forces Report. [31701/25

Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to report on the number of meetings of the Defence Forces board; and the most senior female member of the Defence Forces has attended in 2025, and in 2024, as is provided for. [31708/25

Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the progress to date in implementing the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces in relation to recruitment and retention of personnel in the Permanent Defence Force; and if he will make a statement on the matter

Connell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to report on the initiatives currently being implemented by his Department to enable the Reserve Defence Forces to deliver enhanced military capabilities when required to support the Permanent Defence Forces. [31702/25

Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence when Defence Forces regulations were amended prohibiting suitably qualified members of the Air Corps and Naval Service from filling the role of assistant chief of staff; the rationale for this decision; and if, in view of the emphasis … Commission on the Defence Forces on the need for truly joint high-level leadership and the recommendation that the future assistant chief of defence role be a joint appointment, he continues to support the prohibition on suitably qualified members of the Air Corps and Naval Service competing

Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence how his Department plans on addressing the ongoing problems of understaffing in critical Defence Forces infrastructure, such as air traffic controllers; if his actions will be in line with the Defence Forces Group 2021 recommendations

Conor D. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he has authorised the use of social media influencers by the Irish Defence Forces for recruitment and communications; and his views on whether there may be conflicts of interest caused by social media accounts advertising careers … Defence Forces while simultaneously sharing partisan content related to live conflict situations and international politics. [32080/25

Defence to report on the work undertaken by his Department in reviewing the framework governing the relationship between the Minister for Defence, the Defence Forces and the Department of Defence. [31704/25

proposal to explore the creation of a military attaché network, a proposal which was recommended for urgent introduction by the Commission on the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34688/25

Defence if consideration is being given to the acquisition or long-term leasing of a dedicated strategic or tactical airlift capability for the Defence Forces, either independently or in partnership with other EU member states; if such consideration includes the C-130 Hercules or the Airbus A400M

Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of horses that had trials to get into the Defence Forces Equitation School in the years 2024 and to date in 2025; and of the number of horses that had trials, the number that were successful

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence whether his Department or the Defence Forces currently have any contracts with or purchase from a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34525/25

secretary-general and the counterpart in the Department of Defence regarding a person (details supplied) who was denied the transfer of a Defence Forces’ pension that was given to his late wife following the death of their son while on UN duty in Lebanon; and if he will

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the total cost of the continuous Defence Forces recruitment campaign; the number of new recruits to each service; and for a breakdown of the spend for each of the services in each of the past ten years

ensure that the Government provides diplomatic assistance for the immediate release of the 12 activists from the Freedom Flotilla 'Madleen' from the Israeli Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32304/25

Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of female applicants and recruits to the Air Corps compared to other arms of the Defence Forces; the percentage new recruits that were women, in past five years; the steps his Department is taking to increase female participation

Minister for Defence if he intends to establish a special review body to examine means of retention of skilled technicians in the Defence Forces; and if the timeframe for the process. [30785/25

Minister for Defence to provide an update on the incident in southern Lebanon where Irish peacekeepers came under fire from the Israel Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29866/25

Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of residential Defence Forces buildings that are currently not habitable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31326/25

State’s ability to monitor and patrol Irish seas and airspace, in light of the ongoing difficulties with recruitment and retention in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31236/25

Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will consider the introduction of service commitment schemes to retain key specialist functions within the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31324/25

Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the strength of the permanent Defence Force as of 31 May 2025, or the latest date available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30834/25