176. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the level of annual funding allocated specifically for the development, training and equipment of the Reserve Defence Forces in each year since 2020; whether the Government intends to introduce a dedicated capital funding stream for Reserve Defence Forces capability development; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20336/26]
Topics / Defence Forces
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsDefence Forces
1,115 questions from 105 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 22 October 2026.
1,115
questions
1,048 written, 67 oral
105
TDs have asked
11
parties and groups
Independents counted together
6
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 9 |
| February 2025 | 58 |
| March 2025 | 27 |
| April 2025 | 23 |
| May 2025 | 47 |
| June 2025 | 83 |
| July 2025 | 55 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 91 |
| October 2025 | 36 |
| November 2025 | 77 |
| December 2025 | 85 |
| January 2026 | 33 |
| February 2026 | 120 |
| March 2026 | 34 |
| April 2026 | 30 |
| May 2026 | 108 |
| June 2026 | 74 |
| July 2026 | 87 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 24 |
| October 2026 | 14 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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80
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76
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41
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41
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39
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34
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30
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24
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
177. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether her Department maintains structured data on the reasons for resignation or discharge from the Reserve Defence Forces, including exit interviews or retention surveys; if not, whether she intends to introduce a formal retention monitoring system to support the objectives of the Reserve Defence Force Regeneration Plan; and if she will make a statement on the…
179. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the number of procurement projects currently underway within the Defence Forces; the stage each project has reached within the capability development lifecycle; and the estimated value of each project. [20412/26]
271. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Defence the total number of applications received to the Permanent Defence Forces; the number of candidates inducted into training; the number of candidates formally attested and sworn into service; whether induction figures are being reported as a substitute for enlistment; and the way in which her Department assures effective governance, oversight, and value-for-money …
16. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the total capital and current expenditure allocated to the Reserve Defence Forces in each of the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025; the proportion this represents of the overall defence budget in each year; whether she considers this allocation adequate given the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statem…
17. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the current strength of the Reserve Defence Forces broken down by Naval Service Reserve, Army Reserve, and Air Corps Reserve; the number of vacancies in each branch; the average waiting time for a reservist to complete initial training; the number of reservists who have resigned in each of the past five years citing training backlogs or equipment shortages; and if…
18. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether ring-fenced capital funding exists for the Reserve Defence Forces; if not, the reason therefor; whether reservists are currently required to personally purchase any items of equipment or uniform that should be provided by the State; the estimated total value of equipment shortfalls currently experienced by the Reserve Defence Forces; and if she will make a…
19. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the current status of the Reserve Defence Forces Regeneration and Development Plan; the specific targets within that plan that have been met, partially met, or missed to date; whether the plan contains ring-fenced funding commitments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17551/26]
20. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the ratio of Reserve Defence Forces personnel to Permanent Defence Force personnel as of the most recent available date; how this compares to comparable EU member states; what target ratio the Department considers appropriate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17552/26]
31. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence to provide a full itemised list of all aircraft, naval vessels, armoured vehicles, weapons systems, surveillance equipment, communications systems, and all other capital military equipment procured or contracted for procurement by the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces since the publication of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces in Februar…
32. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence to provide a breakdown of the total capital equipment budget of the Defence Forces in each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025; the proportion spent on naval vessels, aircraft, land systems, cyber and communications, and other categories respectively; the number of procurement projects currently at each stage of the project lifecycle as referenced in the Natio…
37. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence to provide a full breakdown of the Defence Vote for the most recent available financial year, specifying the total amount spent by the Department of Defence as a civilian administrative body including staff costs, consultancy, accommodation, travel, information technology systems, and all other administrative expenditure; the total amount spent directly on the Def…
38. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the total number of civil servants currently employed in her Defence; the total payroll cost of these civil servants in the most recent financial year; how this compares to the total payroll cost of uniformed Defence Forces personnel at equivalent grades; the current ratio of civil servants to uniformed personnel; how this ratio has changed in each year since 2015…
39. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the total amount spent on external consultancy, advisory services, and contracted professional services by the Department of Defence in each of the years 2020 to 2025 inclusive; the names of the firms engaged; the purpose of each engagement; whether each engagement was subject to competitive tender; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17583/26]
40. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence to provide a breakdown of defence spending under the following headings for each of the years 2021 to 2025 inclusive: pay and allowances for uniformed personnel; pay and allowances for civilian Department staff; capital equipment procurement; maintenance and repair of existing equipment; fuel and operational costs; training costs; accommodation and barracks mainte…
41. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence what proportion of the overall defence Vote has been spent on barrack accommodation, maintenance, and infrastructure in each of the years 2021 to 2025 inclusive; the current estimated backlog of maintenance works required across Defence Forces installations; the estimated cost of bringing all Defence Forces accommodation up to an acceptable standard; and if she wi…
259. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Defence the recruitment criteria for the Irish Defence Forces; the recruitment per year from 2020 to date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16336/26]
260. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Defence the capital and current funding required for the capacity of the Joint Induction Training Centre at Gormanston Barracks to be able to handle 1,250 new recruits when fully operational. [16344/26]
269. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Defence to detail the potential Defence Forces overtime, associated costs and security planning for the upcoming Presidency of the EU; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17219/26]
270. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Defence for an update on the response capacity of the Defence Forces, including the Reserve Defence Forces, to provide aid-to-civil-power responses during climate emergencies such as storms or floods; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17220/26]
271. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Defence the public procurement processes to be used for the Defence Forces capital investment plans, particularly in acquiring military radar programme, helicopters, replacement of PC-9M fleet, RPAS/drone, armoured fleet replacement and so on; if there will be a defined European preference; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17221/26]
234. 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]
235. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the methodology used to calculate the “turnover rate of approximately 7.6% in 2025”; the numerator and denominator used; and the turnover rate for each service separately in each of the years 2020 to 2025, [15687/26]
236. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether her Department maintains a unit-cost model for recruitment and training of General Service Recruits; and if so, the most recent estimated cost per recruit by service and by cost heading. [15688/26]
237. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the estimated fiscal impact on the Defence Vote of recruits discharged by purchase within 90 days of induction in each of the years 2020 to 2025. [15689/26]