Topics / Defence Forces

A subject heading for parliamentary questions

Defence 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
MonthQuestions
January 20259
February 202558
March 202527
April 202523
May 202547
June 202583
July 202555
August 20250
September 202591
October 202536
November 202577
December 202585
January 202633
February 2026120
March 202634
April 202630
May 2026108
June 202674
July 202687
August 20260
September 202624
October 202614

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.

  • 100% RDR4 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Aontú20 from 2 TDs · 2 seats today
  • Fianna Fáil311 from 31 TDs · 48 seats today
  • Fine Gael202 from 22 TDs · 38 seats today
  • Green Party12 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Independent36 from 6 TDs · 15 seats today
  • Independent Ireland82 from 2 TDs · 4 seats today
  • Labour Party98 from 8 TDs · 11 seats today
  • People Before Profit-Solidarity18 from 3 TDs · 3 seats today
  • Sinn Féin270 from 25 TDs · 39 seats today

The TDs who asked most

Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.

  1. 80
  2. 76
  3. 41
  4. 41
  5. 39
  6. 34
  7. 30
  8. 24

Asked of

Debated under the same heading

Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.

The questions

Duncan Smith Written 7 Oct 2025 · to Defence
62. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of members of the Defence Forces who have been convicted of crimes under civil and/or military law in the past five years; and of these, the number which remain serving members of the Defence Forces; to provide a breakdown of the types of offences for which these members were convicted; the number of members of the Defence Forces who are c…
Eoghan Kenny Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Defence
221. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the plans to end Army reserve pay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52651/25]
Peadar Tóibín Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Defence
222. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the rationale for removing the training/attendance allowance for members of the Reserve Defence Forces when undergoing training; the allowances that are now available to members of the Reserve Defence Forces; and the number of new members that have signed up in the past year, by month. [52655/25]
Robert O'Donoghue Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Defence
223. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if his Department is satisfied that sufficient budgetary foresight was applied when barriers to recruitment for the Reserve Defence Forces were removed, given that internal documents show that, by November 2024, the existing budget was already insufficient to pay reservists for the remainder of the year; and if he will make a statement on the m…
Robert O'Donoghue Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Defence
224. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence given that the budget for reserve training and support days was €3.01 million and exhausted during 2024, and supplementary funds assigned earlier in the year proved inadequate, will he provide for the reasons the supplementary funds were insufficient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52675/25]
Robert O'Donoghue Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Defence
225. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the estimates of the full-cost implications of recruitment, including increases in medicals, induction, training, support and pay for the remainder of 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52676/25]
Robert O'Donoghue Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Defence
226. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the additional funding which has been allocated, or is planned to be allocated, in budget 2026 or via other mechanisms to ensure reservists are paid in a timely manner even during periods of unexpected recruitment growth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52677/25]
Robert O'Donoghue Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Defence
227. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the steps his Department is taking to ensure that recruitment surges do not lead to budget shortfalls; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52678/25]
Robert O'Donoghue Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Defence
228. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he has considered adjusting the categorisation or employment status of reservists, including PRSI or other employment rights, to recognise the levels of service reservists provide, which appear to exceed the statutory or budgeted number of days; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52679/25]
Robert O'Donoghue Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Defence
229. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will confirm whether all reservists who were not paid in full in late 2024 have since been paid in full; the timeframe for outstanding payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52680/25]
Colm Burke Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Defence
232. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the total amount of funding allocated to the Reserve Defence Forces for the years 2019 to 2024 inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52889/25]
Colm Burke Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Defence
233. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to provide an update on the proposed reduction in pay of current Reserve Defence Force members for activities including marching drills and firing range practice, in particular taking into account the affect it may have on current members and recruitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52890/25]
Colm Burke Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Defence
234. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the action his Department is taking to ensure that the budget for Reserve Defence Forces for the coming year is sufficient to ensure the continued payment of current RDF members and the increase in recruitment numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52891/25]
Colm Burke Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Defence
235. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the total number of new recruits to the Reserve Defence Force for the years 2019 to 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52892/25]
Matt Carthy Written 1 Oct 2025 · to Defence
11. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the current height restrictions in place for applicants to the Defence Forces; if there are plans to review these restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52222/25]
Ryan O'Meara Written 1 Oct 2025 · to Defence
13. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the steps being taken to regulate for each of the 35 recommendations of a report (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52264/25]
Ryan O'Meara Written 1 Oct 2025 · to Defence
14. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will provide details of the lead for the implementation of the 35 recommendations of a report (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52265/25]
Ryan O'Meara Written 1 Oct 2025 · to Defence
15. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the progress made on each action listed in the Detailed Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52266/25]
Ryan O'Meara Written 1 Oct 2025 · to Defence
16. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the progress to date on each action listed in the Reserve Defence Force Regeneration and Development Plan, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52267/25]
Ryan O'Meara Written 1 Oct 2025 · to Defence
17. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the rationale for the withdrawal of certain payments to Reserve Defence Force personnel, per recently issued pay guidance, the civil service grade at which this decision was taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52268/25]
Ryan O'Meara Written 1 Oct 2025 · to Defence
18. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the status of draft legislation to create the post of Chief of Defence; the powers to be allocated to the Chief of Defence; if the Chief of Defence will be appointed as accounting officer for the Defence Forces budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52269/25]
Ryan O'Meara Written 1 Oct 2025 · to Defence
19. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to update on recruitment and retention measures being progressed by the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52271/25]
John Paul O'Shea Written 30 Sep 2025 · to Defence
228. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the steps he is taking to ensure that Army Reserves continue to receive fair remuneration; whether he will reconsider the reported decision to end pay for reserves, given that current rates already fall below the national minimum wage once taxes are accounted for, and that removal of pay would result in reservists incurring out-of-pocket expense…
Barry Ward Written 30 Sep 2025 · to Defence
230. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will report on a television programme (details supplied) of 18 September 2025 in which it was alleged that the phones and geolocation of defence force personnel, while on duty and/or in defence forces campuses, can be tracked by a third party; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51568/25]
Pearse Doherty Written 25 Sep 2025 · to Defence
187. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the necessary capital spending increase needed in 2026 in order to meet level of ambition 2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50859/25]