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thank the Deputy for the question. I will start by recognising the importance of the Reserve Defence Force to the State. In the past few years, we have witnessed a revitalisation of the Reserve. The strength of the Reserve Defence Force … comprised of 1,481 Army Reserve personnel and 131 Naval Service Reserve personnel. The priority of Government is the modernisation of our Defence Forces and revitalising our Reserve Defence Force is a key part of this transformation. In that context, the Reserve Defence Force regeneration plan, published

thank the Deputy. Increasing recruitment and retention of personnel in the Defence Forces is a priority for me as Minister and for everybody here who has spoken this evening. As Government, we are committed to putting the resources in place to achieve level of ambition … have the accommodation to be able to support those numbers. It is very positive to see that interest in a career in the Defence Forces continues to grow, with a total of 16,510 applications received last year, which is quite a significant number. The challenge

which I published on 10 February, highlights my Department's plans over the next 12 months to further improve working conditions within the Defence Forces. This is a commitment I will continue to champion, as will the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, for defence and the Defence Forces … that and more opportunities for members. There will be policies to transform career and talent processes and promotion systems, developed by the Defence Forces, which will be submitted to me as Minister for approval, along with plans for implementation. There will be a new process of culture surveys

benefit from that spending. It is a clear demonstration of the Government's commitment to enhancing the capabilities, equipment and accommodation for our Defence Forces. This capital investment in defence primarily supports the renewal, retention and acquisition of major defence equipment and the development of defence infrastructure … clear demonstration of the Government's commitment to delivering what we all spoke of here - modern Defence Forces capable of responding to what is an increasingly complex security environment that we live in. The infrastructure development plan, IDP, sets out a programme of project delivery to 2027, reflecting

infrastructure plan and the new strategic framework clearly set out how we can be more ambitious when it comes to increasing our overall Defence Forces numbers. Our numbers increased by 200 last year. I appreciate that this is a smaller number than we would like … determined that we will continue on that trajectory right across our Defence Forces. To that effect, I am working closely with the Defence Forces to make sure we have a new workforce plan in place, but also that we have a new civilianisation plan, which I will have

that we need to see continue to encourage more and enhance greater uptake when it comes to those who wish to join the Defence Forces. I have said the numbers wishing to join are pretty substantial, but it is about then translating them. My focus this year … making sure we have the accommodation we need for training and that we have enough personnel for those in our Defence Forces carrying out the training. There were changes made recently to provide allowances in that regard. It is important that those changes were made, but where more

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 … 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

These are an implementation plan, which will continue to implement the changes that were recommended by the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces, and a new strategic framework, which essentially sets out how we are going to increase our Defence Forces, how we are going … going work more closely with other European and international partners, and how we can protect and support the men and women of our Defence Forces and the vital work they do. It is essential, first and foremost, that we increase the number of Defence Force personnel we have

know in this House, members of the Irish Defence Forces serve the State at home and overseas in often high-risk and demanding roles. The level of commitment from Defence Forces must be matched by fair and sustainable working conditions. The Minister will be aware Ireland was recently … found to be in non-compliance with the European Social Charter as regards the workplace conditions of Irish Defence Forces personnel. Will the Minister please advise the House how the new strategic framework for the transformation of the Defence Forces will improve Defence Forces working conditions

Ireland's compliance, as the Deputy said, with the European Social Charter on two issues: remuneration for certain work carried out by Defence Forces personnel on public holidays; and arrangements for compensation or overtime. The ECSR rejected two other complaints that had been submitted on similar matters … compliance with the charter since these particular complaints were taken, in particular the removal of the blanket exemption of members of the Defence Forces from the Organisation of Working Time Act last January. The Defence Forces has also introduced a manual system for recording hours of attendance

welcome the opportunity to outline and discuss the recently published detailed implementation plan of the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces and the new strategic framework I launched and brought to Cabinet last week. The plans set out the ambitious timelines I intend to set over … next year to make sure we can expand, enhance and grow our overall Defence Forces capabilities. Of course, as is the case with any plan, it has to be matched by a capital budget. Deputies will be aware that just before Christmas I published our new capital plan

July 2024 and has four main priorities: recruitment and retention: resourcing; training; and integration and deployment. In relation to specific issues with Reserve Defence Force activities that attract payments, conditions under which reservists are paid for certain activities are set out in the Defence Force regulations … regulations and items have been replaced with an updated guidance note. The office of Reserve affairs has prepared a paper for the Defence Forces board about reserve activities that should attract a payment. The office has advised that the Defence Forces board is considering the content

Again, I keep hearing in the Chamber this evening that we are not investing in the Defence Forces and therefore this is somehow related to the triple lock. The triple lock is about how we send our Defence Force personnel. At the moment we have 436 troops … have to look, review and revise our legislation and ask if it is fit for purpose. That is no different for the Defence Forces. Is this fit for purpose? No. What was the whole purpose of it? That we would be able to send our troops to missions

wave of militarism sweeping Europe and the rest of the world. It is not good enough that the Government would use the Irish Defence Forces as a political bargaining chip when it has singularly failed to address the serious problem with retention and recruitment that the Army … years. The problem is not with the Security Council or anyone else but that people in this House have run down the Defence Forces. This is the biggest challenge with our Defence Forces as we move forward

Byrne, well with their very important work in the Department of Defence. The implementation plan for the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, published in November 2023, stated very clearly that the Reserve Defence Force, RDF, needs to be revitalised. For far too long, numbers have … Minister of State outline what particular measures he hopes to take to increase substantially the numbers participating in the important work the Reserve Defence Force carries out throughout the country

Defence (Amendment) Act set out clearly that the UN mandate is required for the deployment of a contingent of the Defence Forces overseas. That was in the middle of the Cold War and at a time of huge international conflict. The veto the UN Security Council can exercise … newspaper articles over the past 12 months calling for the scrapping of the triple lock and neutrality and the full participation of our Defence Forces in combat overseas. Proceeding to scrap the triple lock and shredding not one but two national declarations that the Taoiseach's party drew

when responding to what was a vicious and violent attack. Last week, I had the honour, with the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces,of presenting them with the distinguished service medals. This is something that is not given out to everybody. This recognised their bravery … more broadly, the way in which members of our Defence Forces go about their work and put themselves at risk and in danger in the protection of our State and in the protection of those they serve, which is each and every one of us. It is important

something we are committed to. We have responded to many of the issues raised since that complaint was made. Members of the Defence Forces are compensated for additional or irregular hours through allowances and structured systems of compensatory rest. In addition, a pensionable military service allowance, which … compensate for the special disadvantages associated with military life, such as the long and unsociable hours that many of the members of our Defence Forces work, is paid to all ranks up to the level of colonel. Military service allowance is also a pensionable allowance, so instead

most serious issue in our Defence Forces over the past 20 years has been the decline in personnel numbers and the brain drain of highly trained specialist personnel. The core of this issue are pay, conditions and career progression. Of the 43 delayed projects … retention problem if we do not address the elephant in the room, that being, we have almost destroyed a life in the Defence Forces as a viable career? Poor pay, poor conditions, poor pensions, and overtime policies in breach of the European Social Charter. When will the Government

timelines, the defence (amendment) Bill 2025, which relates to how deploy our Defence Forces overseas, is included in the Government's legislative programme for priority publication during the current parliamentary session. The drafting of the Bill is continuing in conjunction with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, and publication … well that it also includes other amendments to the Defence Act to provide for the suspension, in certain circumstances, of members of the Defence Forces, as well as other smaller matters. The Deputy referred to the Nice and Lisbon treaties. While it is absolutely essential that we follow

Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Defence the way the new strategic framework for the transformation of the Defence Forces will improve Defence Forces working conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12176/26

thank the Minister and very much welcome her emphasis on a greater increase in diversity within the Defence Forces. In my constituency, my colleague Senator Diarmuid Wilson is a member of the defence and security committee and attended the event in Renmore Barracks last week. Several people referred … weekend at clinics and other gatherings I was at. This shows the general interest among the public in the well-being of our Defence Forces. It was good to see those people, the chaplain and his colleagues, being honoured in view of the very serious incident they faced

words seem like a get-out clause from making good on the recommendations of the ECSR. We have had modest increases in Defence Forces numbers, but they are nowhere near where they need to be. We know from speaking to Defence Force members and potential members that

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

Minister is well aware, the Commission on the Defence Forces produced a very important strategy in 2022, and the subsequent implementation plan outlined a series of measures that needed to be taken to strengthen our Defence Forces. One of the key issues was the whole area of recruitment

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence if she is aware that members of the Defence Forces with over 21 years’ service are currently being discharged; if she is aware of any directives from her Department to discharge up to 1,000 personnel from the Defence … Forces; and if any member of the Defence Forces who wishes to remain in service will be afforded the option to do so, particularly given the ongoing retention challenges within the Defence Forces. [9781/26

Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence her views on the recruitment of a person (details supplied) to the Defence Forces; the vetting procedures involved in light of their guilty plea and conviction for a violent assault; if the Defence Forces were aware of their guilty … plea and conviction for violent assault prior to their recruitment to the Defence Forces; if not, then when they become aware; if the Defence Forces were aware of the guilty plea and conviction before they were promoted to the position of lieutenant; and if she will make

Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Defence the way the new strategic framework for the transformation of the Defence Forces will improve Defence Forces working conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12176/26

Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Defence the way the new strategic framework for the transformation of the Defence Forces will improve Defence Forces equipment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12175/26

Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Defence the measures her Department is taking to encourage the recruitment and retention of Defence Force personnel; the Defence Force strength on an annual basis for each of the years 2021 to 2025; and if she will make a statement

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

Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence the total number of people recruited to the Defence Forces since 2020 who have since left the Defence Forces, broken down by each year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13221/26

Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence the total number of current Defence Forces personnel in terms of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service and the Reserve Defence Force, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13220/26

Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Defence to provide an update on the personnel number of the Defence Forces for 2023, 2024 and 2025; the efforts she is making to increase numbers and strengthen our Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement

Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Defence for an overview of the way in which the Reserve Defence Force is to be revitalised under the updated Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. [12377/26

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

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

Minister for Defence the estimated average cost to the Exchequer of recruiting, inducting and training a General Service Recruit in the Permanent Defence Forces, broken down by Army, Naval Service and Air Corps; the total estimated cost of recruits who did not complete training in each … years 2020 to 2025; and the estimated cost of personnel who left the Permanent Defence Forces within 24 months of induction in each of those years [13749/26

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Defence if she is satisfied that the Defence Forces have been properly resourced to adequately defend key defence ports and monitor vessels passing through Irish territorial waters; if she will outline the operational capabilities currently in place to support this function

asked the Minister for Defence her views on the revised defence plan deadlines in the detailed implementation plan for the transformation of the Defence Forces that have been pushed out again by Government, which will result in major defence projects such as the anti-drone CUAS system being

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the projected strength of the Permanent Defence Forces for each of the years 2026, 2027 and 2028, broken down by Army, Naval Service and Air Corps; and the projected inductions and projected discharges underpinning those projections. [15686/26

Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Defence if the maximum age limit to join the Defence Forces will be increased from 39 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15214/26

activities of the Irish Military Intelligence Service (IMIS); the name of the current Director of the IMIS; the number of members of the Defence Forces and civilian staff serving in the IMIS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15588/26

Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Defence the number of outsourced services in the Defence Forces and the plans to bring them back in-house; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14547/26

January 2026, when the information regarding the mean wait time for security clearance to be granted to reservists in the Defence Forces for each of the years 2021 to 2025, inclusive; and the number of applications for security clearances for reservists in each of those years will

place an accelerated programme of naval vessel replacement in 2028, as highlighted in the Updated Detailed Implementation Plan for the Commission of the Defence Forces given no capital funding has been allocated out to 2030; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14968/26

Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Defence to outline the proposals she is implementing in relation to recruitment in Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15148/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether her Department has set formal annual retention targets for the Permanent Defence Forces; if so, the specific percentage attrition ceiling or numerical retention target set for each service; the key performance indicators used to measure retention

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether changes to eligibility criteria for recruitment into the Permanent Defence Forces are under consideration; whether non-citizen eligibility expansion is being examined; and to outline the policy rationale for any such proposals. [13867/26

Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the present enlistment in the Permanent Defence Forces; the proposals there are to increase recruitment and improve retention levels in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13943/26