207. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence if her Department will accelerate the recommendations in the Commission on the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12527/26]
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.
-
80
-
76
-
41
-
41
-
39
-
34
-
30
-
24
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
208. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Defence the investment planned in Aiken Barracks, Dundalk, over the next five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12178/26]
210. 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 on the matter. [12478/26]
211. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Defence the procedures and actions to be implemented by Irish military personnel on their observations of suspect drone activities in Irish airspace; if this includes notification to Irish air traffic control; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12004/26]
212. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Defence the actions being taken in response to findings that Ireland is in breach of the European Social Charter in relation to Defence Forces pay, overtime and public holiday arrangements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12464/26]
213. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Defence the measures being taken to deal with the recruitment and retention crisis in the Defence Force; when she expects staffing levels to reach 11,500 personnel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12111/26]
214. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Defence for an overview of the new C2 and joint structures to be established to be delivered under the updated Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. [12375/26]
216. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Defence for an overview of the Defence National Development Plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12170/26]
217. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Defence if there are any plans to review current levels of pay for cadets in the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12000/26]
219. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Defence for an update on the development of Collins Barracks, Cork; the capital investment made at the barracks over the past five years; whether any programme of refurbishment, upgrading or modernisation is planned for the facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11693/26]
220. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Defence if she will report on the development of an Institute for Peace Support and Leadership Training at the Curragh; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11997/26]
221. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Defence if her attention has been drawn to the fact that Ireland has been found in breach of the European Social Charter Council of Europe Treaty over the prohibition on overtime for members of the Defence Forces. [12163/26]
222. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Defence the funding allocated in the Defence Sectoral National Development Plan for expanding and integrating Army drone capability; the expected timeline for achieving enhanced operational capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12373/26]
224. 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. [12473/26]
225. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Defence her response to the recent findings of the European Committee of Social Rights against the Government for not paying members of the Defence Forces premiums for public holidays and overtime; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12001/26]
226. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Defence if she will provide an update on the Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12485/26]
228. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Defence the actions she has taken to resolve the issue whereby 85% of Defence Force buildings in Cork are uninhabitable. [12458/26]
229. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Defence whether her Department has conducted any research or analysis on the impact of the abolition of the supplementary pension for members of the Defence Forces on recruitment and retention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12513/26]
230. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Defence if she will confirm that adequate planning, advance notice and operational coordination have been provided to the Defence Forces in respect of Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency; if she is satisfied that sufficient personnel, funding and logistical resources will be in place to support all related security and ceremonial requirements; and if she will make a stat…
231. 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]
232. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Defence the steps being taken to increase the Reserve Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12456/26]
339. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Defence to list, for each of the last 20 years, the size of each of the branches of the Defence Forces. [12450/26]
340. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Defence the establishment figure of the Defence Forces in last 50 years and the reason it has changed to its current figure. [12451/26]
342. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Defence if she will commit to not bringing bring forward legalisation to abolish the triple lock until it has first been put to a referendum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8643/26]
343. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Defence if she will consider reducing height restrictions for the Irish Army; the number of persons who have been refused in each of the years 2019 to 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12177/26]