want to state clearly that reforming the triple lock is the right thing for Ireland, Irish neutrality, the men and women of the Defence Forces, our peacekeepers and Irish security and sovereignty. The determination to secure Irish sovereignty is how we are all here today
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In debates
join a military alliance. The triple lock, by contrast, is a legal mechanism governing the overseas deployment of members of the Defence Forces. It requires a UN mandate and Government and Dáil approval before certain deployments can take place.
The triple lock did not make Ireland neutral
moral weight to engage in the defence of human rights in the pursuit of conflict resolution and the honourable service of our Defence Forces in peacekeeping around the world. Irish people are deeply proud of that tradition.
I remember well when the Lisbon treaty was debated
should be strong on neutrality and strong on defence. I absolutely agree with that. The Minister talks about the need to ensure that Defence Forces personnel have the ability to deploy internationally and are not prevented from participating in rescue missions. I have no problem at all with
would ask the Deputy a number of questions. First, does he trust Óglaigh na hÉireann? Does he trust our Defence Forces? If he does, then he trusts them to make the decision.
The triple lock, as amended, will ensure
Deputy should listen to me. If he trusts the Defence Forces
would be under the exact same status as the current peacekeeping missions. Deployment would have to be recommended by our Defence Forces. It would have to be approved by people who are democratically elected in this country, not the likes of Russia or China or anybody who should
foreign policy objectives, given the cover they gave to Israel in recent years in the context of the genocide. I do trust the Defence Forces and I do trust the people of this country.
I ask the Minister whether she trusts the people of this country to make
invest in our Defence Forces and ensure we deploy on UN missions
Department is satisfied with the level of support being provided by the Department to witnesses from the Women of Honour participating in the Defence Forces tribunal, with particular regard to one-to-one support provided before, during and after testifying; and if she will make a statement
information to be able to pass it on.
There are a number of other supports available to serving and former members of the Defence Forces, and I can touch on them in the next answer
easy to access, and if survivors are saying it does not meet their needs, action must be taken.
Those participating in the Defence Forces tribunal are doing so in the interests of justice and truth and to ensure that this level of abuse never happens again
time, personal protective equipment, PPE, needed to be better. That is why I say now that the investment we are putting into our Defence Forces is not just to provide the best capabilities and types of technology but also means that we are putting in place equipment that
Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence to provide an update on recruitment numbers for the Defence Forces as of July 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54380/26
Will the Minister provide an update on recruitment numbers for the Defence Forces as of this month
also need to invest in our accommodation and in equipment and technology. Our investment in counter-drone technology and radar equipment is something Defence Forces personnel are excited about. The level of training involved and the ambition there encourages people to want to be part of that
know whether there is any update.
The Minister mentioned all the other barracks, and that is very welcome and everyone who supports the Defence Forces will welcome that. However, the Curragh has been neglected when it comes to housing. On the basis of the Minister's reply
sure we can square off what was agreed in the previous one but also start to look forward to the next one. The Defence Forces representative bodies have representation now they are part of the umbrella body as well.
On infrastructure, A body of work to look
even have the right to intervene. In a letter to the victim, the Minister said that such matters were internal to the Defence Forces and that she had no statutory role and she was considering what options she had. I trust the Minister will look into this, because
Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Defence the role she envisages for the Defence Forces in international peacekeeping and peace support operations over the next decade; the likely contribution of Ireland to future United Nations and European Union missions; and if she will make a statement
Ireland in EU-led peace support operations, or maybe a combination of both? With that in mind, what capabilities does Government believe the Defence Forces will require over the next decade to fulfil those missions effectively? Are we likely to see a greater emphasis on areas such
missions in Africa, EU-led peace support operations or other international stabilisation missions, can the Minister assure the serving members of the Defence Forces and, critically, their families that they will continue to receive the same high standards of welfare, support, operational protection, medical care, post-deployment support
world, the communities in which they are located and the regions but they also matter to the development and progression of Defence Forces personnel. It is part of what people sign up for. There are currently 11 direct UN peacekeeping missions, with more under Chapter VIII, but this
have experienced peacekeeping personnel, given our track record and the esteem in which we are held, and also to the benefit of our Defence Forces
case that no mission is the same, so it is also a matter for the Defence Forces to assess and scope out the mission and then to decide whether it is a mission we can partake in. A question keeps being asked about what it is we would
In parliamentary questions
Brendan Smith
Written
Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the progress to date in upgrading accommodation for members of the Permanent Defence Force; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73619/25
Brendan Smith
Written
Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the progress to date in implementing the recommendations of the report of the commission on the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73620/25
Brendan Smith
Written
opening of Dún Uí Néill, Cavan, as an army barracks; taking into account the recommendation of the commission on the Defence Forces that the structure of the army be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73635/25
Barry Ward
Written
confirm that US miliary aircraft are permitted while carrying lethal weapons and other lethal miliary equipment to Isreal or to support the Israeli Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72717/25
Barry Ward
Written
Affairs and Trade if she will prevent US military aircraft from transiting Irish airspace while carrying military equipment to be used by Israeli Defence Forces in connection with Gaza or the occupied Palestinian territories; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72718/25
Barry Ward
Written
legal basis on which her allows military aircraft to carry lethal weapons or other lethal military equipment, to be used by the Israeli Defence Forces, to pass through Irish airspace; whether this breaches Ireland's military nonalignment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72722/25
Sorca Clarke
Written
Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence when and where Defence Forces personnel will be trained to operate the new counter-UAS capability; the number of personnel that will be trained; and whether this training will be completed ahead of the EU Presidency. [72598/25
Sorca Clarke
Written
Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence to outline the current counter-drone capability within the Defence Forces; and whether additional support from partner states is expected to be required for major events in 2026. [72599/25
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Written
Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Defence the measures her Department is taking to ensure the budget for the Reserve Defence Force will be sufficient for the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72679/25
John Paul O'Shea
Written
Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Defence if she will address the concerns of Reserve Defence Force members regarding recent changes to reservist payments, including the removal of payment for routine activities and the reduced effective daily rate after taxation; the impact these changes
Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence the capacity of the Defence Forces and security forces generally to respond to drone incursions in Irish aerospace and to respond to reported suspicious drone activity near Dublin Airport during the visit of President Zelenskyy. [72050/25
Matt Carthy
Oral
Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces personnel required under level of ambition 2; the current establishment figure; and the current number within each service. [71896/25
Thomas Gould
Written
Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Defence the actions she has taken to improve pay and conditions in the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71668/25
Peter 'Chap' Cleere
Written
Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Defence the way in which the Defence Forces is developing its unmanned aerial systems capability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71843/25
regarding the establishment of a joint cybersecurity command and other actions related to cybersecurity contained in the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. [72045/25
Rose Conway-Walsh
Oral
incident involving five drones endeavouring to intercept the plane carrying President Zelenskyy recently; if a C70 form was completed to ensure a Garda-Defence Forces co-ordinated response; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72042/25
John Paul O'Shea
Written
Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which the Defence Forces engage with other agencies and supporting resources to respond to severe weather events such as storms, flooding, and other emergencies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71888/25
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Oral
Murchú asked the Minister for Defence if she will outline any recent progress made in all the investigations into the death of a Defence Forces member who was killed on duty in the Lebanon, details supplied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71889/25
Thomas Gould
Written
Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Defence the number of resignations from the Defence Forces in 2025. [71669/25
Malcolm Byrne
Written
Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Defence if the Defence Forces have powers that would permit them to take down unidentified drones operating in Irish air space and/or in international waters; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71587/25
Naoise Ó Cearúil
Written
Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Defence the assessments undertaken of Defence Forces protocols for securing airspace, following the recent drone incident near a Naval Service vessel during President Zelenskyy’s visit to Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71852/25
Peadar Tóibín
Written
Minister for Defence when it is expected that the tribunal examining the complaints process in relation to sexual abuse and discrimination in the Defence Forces will complete its work. [71604/25
Naoise Ó Cearúil
Written
Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Defence the way in which coordination between the Defence Forces, An Garda Síochána and the Irish Aviation Authority is being strengthened to manage drone activity in Irish airspace; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71851/25
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Written
Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence her views on the issue of pension entitlements for personnel who joined the Defence Forces after 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72047/25
Cathy Bennett
Written
Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Defence if she has considered altering height requirements with regard to enlistment eligibility for the Defence Forces. [72039/25
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