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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

ongoing. I do not say that in relation to the Government but rather in relation to the work being done by the Defence Forces and I thank them. Deputy Smith has asked me an honest and fair question about whether I am satisfied we will be able … produce a workforce plan by the end of April, which I will then publish and share with Members. This will show how the Defence Forces believe we can get to the figure of LOA 2 by 2028, which is 11,500 people overall, broken down between

welcome and means we are on track to meet the level of ambition 2 by 2028, as recommended by the Commission on Defence Forces. The major challenge, however, will be the additional 4,000 personnel who are required to reach the 11,500 for level of ambition … about national security. I am hopeful that part of the biggest-ever defence budget will go towards resourcing the JCDC to ensure our Defence Forces possess operational cyber capabilities in our modern world, a world where cyberattacks are increasing in frequency, complexity and destructiveness and can compromise critical

want, but numbers have now stabilised and are moving in the right direction. My intention and ambition are to work directly with the Defence Forces to ensure they have the right structure and the capacity and ability to increase the number of recruits. We will see an increase … very good relationships with the representative organisations. A lot of progress has been made, much of which has come directly from the Defence Forces. I was looking recently at what has happened in the past number of years and much of it has been at the request

Last year was the first year in quite a number of years we saw any stabilisation or increase in the membership of the Defence Forces. This year we will see a significant improvement on that. What I said to our Chief of Staff yesterday is that … pinch points are addressed. Regarding Deputy Ó Laoghaire's point, the encouraging thing is there is huge interest now in joining the Defence Forces. Whether it is the Air Corps, the Naval Service or the Army, the number of people saying they want to join is going

body of work to do, which I do not dispute in any way, in terms of our Naval Service. I have instructed the Defence Forces to provide me with a regeneration and growth plan for our Naval Service. It is encouraging to see those numbers in terms … engage with the EU military assistance mission, EUMAM, initiative where we have been providing training to several hundred members of the Ukrainian defence forces

United Nations peacekeeping in this State. Has the Minister of State had any conversations with ordinary rank-and-file members of our Defence Forces, who will be asked to go to war-torn countries to keep the peace? Has he had any conversations with UN veterans, those … table for me and the rest of my family. Fast forward 30 years since my dad last served, and we still have Defence Forces members going abroad for economic reasons. A father of seven in my area goes away every six months and when he comes home after

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

oral evidence to be taken in this jurisdiction before a High Court judge from members and former members of An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, senior officials and former Ministers. I absolutely welcome that. Without their co-operation, the inquiry simply cannot do its job and, without … Bill runs through the entire mechanism for former office-holders of any kind; not just former Ministers but also former Garda Commissioners, senior Defence Forces officers and departmental officials. Any of them can decline to give evidence. I understand this is constitutionally necessary because we cannot compel sworn

been agreed by this Government, specifically investment not just in the men and women, but also in our overall structures within our Defence Forces system. I have visited quite a number of barracks in the past few months. I have been in Aiken Barracks in Dundalk, the accommodation … million for maintenance and running costs. There is an absolute commitment to make sure that our barracks and critical infrastructure for our Defence Forces members are up to scratch, modern and fit for purpose. Any new decisions for a new barracks or new accommodation will have

Curragh is the jewel in the crown. There is a particular affinity and connection felt by many serving and former members of the Defence Forces and their families. I hope to visit the Curragh in the coming days. I would be delighted if Deputy Wall could join … issue of vacant housing in the barracks and how we can convert and refurbish some of it and provide for additional accommodation for Defence Forces personnel. I look forward to getting those recommendations. I take the point, from a retention and recruitment point of view, that there

fullest co-operation possible with the existing inquiry is needed. The Bill allows the Irish authorities to take sworn evidence from Garda members, Defence Forces personnel, civil servants and former Ministers to support the Omagh bombing inquiry. It sets procedures for requesting, giving and protecting such evidence, provides … Under the Bill, any provision of oral sworn evidence to the inquiry by former members of An Garda Síochána, former members of the Defence Forces, former Ministers and former officeholders of Departments of State will be done on a voluntary basis, and there are some concerns regarding

numbers have gone up. That is very important. There is a huge effort under way to attract more people into the Reserve Defence Forces, such as increasing the upper retirement age and mandatory retirement age. There is the implementation of a managed induction process, whereby a recruitment liaison … Members are fully up to speed with the efforts being made by the Department and the military to enhance recruitment to the Reserve Defence Force. We can then encourage our constituents to take up these very important roles

want to make sure our Defence Forces can, first of all, engage in their primary function, which is the protection of the security of the State and, when called upon, to go abroad to serve as peacekeepers, as they have honourably done. Removing the triple lock will … Gibney spoke about non-militarism or antimilitarism with regard to Trinity College students. We have to protect our neutrality and build up our Defence Forces. We have to make the decisions here as to what we do in terms of peace and security and the work our people

outlining where we now stand with the revised capital development plan and to mark that against the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. That would be a useful document if it were possible to achieve. One of the areas in which the gap between the current … service level commitment schemes for certain ranks - relates to one of the roles that are most difficult to obtain and retain for the Defence Forces, namely, artificers. They are hugely in demand in the private sector. That needs to be looked at in the scheme

United Nations in New York. The last hearing of the trial was held on 28 July. My officials, members of the Defence Forces, Ireland’s ambassador and our honorary consul to Lebanon, and the Department’s Lebanese lawyer all attended the hearing along with a member of Private … coroner’s inquest into the death of Private Rooney, further hearings will take place in the coming months. Both my Department and the Defence Forces are co-operating with this process in full

consider. The Bill will provide for a modification of the existing requirement regarding the triple lock with regard to the dispatch of the Defence Forces for services outside the State as part of an international United Nations force. In effect, the requirement for the UN Security Council mandate … apply when a contingent is being despatched for service and there will be a requirement to seek Government approval. Where the number of Defence Forces is over a certain number, Dáil approval will also be triggered

last government believes that extending the retirement age alone addressed the concerns of Prison Officers, Gardai [sic], Firefighters and members of the Defence Forces, this survey [which was carried out] shows just how little they understand these services and the people who work in them.” I know … pension scheme. That has completely failed. People are leaving these services, including An Garda Síochána, fire services, the Prison Service and the Defence Forces. It does not take anyone to see it. If you look at it from the outside in, they are leaving

expectancies. All new entrants to the public service hired after 1 January 2013 are members of this single scheme. Members of the Permanent Defence Force, firefighters, members of An Garda Síochána and prison officers are categorised as members of the uniformed accrual cohort of single scheme members … entitlement that they may have to the State contributory pension, which is administered by the Department of Social Protection. While members of the Defence Forces and other uniformed accrual members have mandatory retirement ages lower than the State pension contributory retirement age, they are still able to work

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

Malcolm Byrne - To discuss an update on the planned new Courtown coastguard building. Deputy Séamus McGrath - To discuss the recruitment process for the Defence Forces. Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss support mechanisms for families when their childcare centre withdraws from the core funding model. Deputy Colm Burke … proposed move of the An Post sorting office in Edmondstown to Lucan. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire - To discuss the working time directive and Defence Forces staff. Deputies Pearse Doherty and Pat the Cope Gallagher - To discuss the urgent need for the drug givinostat to be made available

Speaking as the only current Member of this House who has served in the Permanent Defence Force and as a UN peacekeeper, I want to address some of the claims that have been made about this legislation. Sinn Féin's continual mislabelling of legislation calling the triple lock … Irish flag on my shoulder, and I understand what it means to represent this country. I also understand the professionalism of the Defence Forces and the importance of military advice in decisions about overseas deployments. However, what has changed is the world around us. The UN Security Council

military alliance. But it does weaken one of the key protections that has helped reassure generations of Irish people that our Defence Forces will only serve overseas under clear international authority. This is a very significant step. I am equally concerned about the reduction in parliamentary oversight. Under … should not be used to justify the removal of the UN element of the triple lock or the dilution of parliamentary scrutiny. Our Defence Forces have built a proud reputation throughout the world as peacekeepers. They deserve clear rules, clear accountability and public confidence in the missions they

Curragh last week. There were some who had completely changed their career paths because they were passionate about joining the Defence Forces. There were others whose siblings had been members as well and they wanted to join. It was wonderful to see the commitment and the fact that … working closely with the organisations and representative groups. They are now part of ICTU. With the public sector pay agreements, it gives the Defence Forces an opportunity to make sure that they are now represented at the table. That is a welcome development in recent years

built infrastructure platforms, and will enable progression on key elements of our commitments within LOA 2 as outlined in the Commission on the Defence Forces report. The Deputy will note that following the conclusion of the process of agreeing overall departmental allocations, all Departments were requested to consider … capital budget for defence. I welcome that; it was badly needed. It is my Department's job, in conjunction with the Defence Forces, to publish sectoral investment plans to show how we intend to allocate those resources against specific projects and we will do that in the coming

this month, has been delayed until June 2026; whether she is aware of the concern this has caused among members of the Reserve Defence Forces who had made themselves available for service under the scheme; the steps being taken to address the impact of this delay on those

Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the percentage of the 2025 advertisement budget for Permanent Defence Forces that was actually spent; if any unspent budget was automatically transferred onto the 2026 advertisement budget. [32827/26

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Defence the current status of the Commission on the Defence Forces (CODF) recommendation regarding the introduction of long service increments for enlisted personnel; if she will explain the reason this measure remains under 'further evaluation' since July 2022 despite the ongoing

Department's position on the payment of five-figure arrears owed to serving and retired members of the Army Ranger Wing (ARW) and Defence Forces Chefs arising from historical allowance agreements; the reason these payments are being withheld from retired veterans who served during the relevant periods

Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Defence if she will provide a list of all capital projects, including Defence Forces infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of her Department which have been completed on time and within budget in Carlow in each of the past five years

Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Defence the number of members of the Defence Forces that are currently on active peace keeping missions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33428/26

Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Defence if she will provide a list of all capital projects, including Defence Forces infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of her Department which have been completed on time and within budget in Kilkenny in each of the past five years

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

driving permit specific to members of An Garda Síochána who drive service vehicles in the course of their duties, similar to the Defence Forces AF154 permit system.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31013/26

Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Defence if permission is required from her for the participation of members of the Irish Defence Forces in foreign military 'competitions'. [29787/26

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Defence the criteria for a person to be inducted as a member of the Defence Forces legal services club. [30077/26

Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Defence to amend the regulations governing entry to the first line reserve Defence Forces to address the issues in correspondence (details supplied) [30942/26

Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Defence the steps being taken to ensure that the Defence Forces are adequately staffed and resourced to meet current and emerging security challenges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29257/26

Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Defence the current status of recruitment and retention initiatives within the Defence Forces; the measures being considered to address ongoing personnel shortages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29258/26

Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Defence the level of investment being allocated to the modernisation of Defence Forces equipment and infrastructure; the timeline for the delivery of key capability upgrades; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29259/26

Defence the measures in place to enhance cybersecurity and protect critical national infrastructure from emerging threats, including any role envisaged for the Defence Forces in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29261/26

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Defence the number of heavy vehicle recovery trucks purchased for the Defence Forces in each of the years of 2024, 2025 and to-date in 2026; the number of those heavy vehicle recovery trucks withdrawn from the fleet

Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 270 of 24 February 2026, the total expenditure incurred by the Defence Forces on all outsourced services listed in her reply in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025; the projected expenditure

February 2026, the total expenditure on agency medical personnel that is, nurses, lab technicians and other specialist roles across the Defence Forces in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025 and the budgeted figure for 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28411/26

Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 270 of 24 February 2026, the estimated additional cost to the Defence Forces of outsourcing second-line aircraft maintenance and civilian technician support in the Air Corps compared with performing these functions in-house, for each

Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to provide an update on the impact that the intervention of the Defence Forces in the current fuel protests will have on public expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27571/26

Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Defence the reason the Defence Forces do not keep track of success and failure rates at the recruitment medical stage, such as acceptance or rejection or any data relating to medical appeals, as indicated in recent FOI responses (details supplied

Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the current status of the payment of long-term increments to members of the Defence Forces; the reason for the delay in implementing these payments; when it is expected that eligible personnel will receive their entitlements (details supplied

civil power; and the regulations made under the Defence Act 1954 that currently authorise the use of the Defence Forces as aid to the civil power. [25228/26

Snodaigh asked the Minister for Defence the process by which a C70 request may be made at present for use of the Defence Forces as aid to the civil power; the person or body that can make such a request; the circumstances in which a request