Ms Julie Sinnamon:

The Deputy asked a question on targets set out in the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. They are massively challenging. In 2022 there was a net decrease of 456 and in 2023 there was a net decrease of 340. This year we are looking at stabilisation. If it is anything better than stabilisation, it will be small numbers. That is because of trying to increase the numbers. Inductions have increased so far this year. There are 494 to the end of September, compared to 415 for all of last year. Those numbers will increase over the next three months towards the end of the year but there is a gap between getting to a stable situation and starting to grow the numbers to achieve those set out in the report. Those are massively challenging numbers for us to achieve. We have spoken about recruitment levels, salaries for people coming in, the transformation agenda, investment in all of the facilities the Defence Forces is staying in, advertising recruitment campaigns, positioning the opportunities a life in the Defence Forces brings, etc. There are many things that will help to attract more people but the challenge in achieving the numbers is significant, given where we are at this point in time and where we will be at the end of this year if we are stable. We are coming from behind.

On defence and the Deputy's parallel with the forwards, the backs and the goalie, I sit on the implementation oversight group. Delivery of the 130 actions set out in the commission report does not sit solely with the Defence Forces. Some sit with the Department of Defence. We heard earlier of the working time directive and the fact that for us to achieve that requires the co-operation of the Department of enterprise. Largely, those actions fall to the Department or the Defence Forces to implement. From the implementation oversight group, I am following both organisations and both have senior representatives at that oversight group accounting for the various actions they are responsible for. I do not see it as being all about the Defence Forces. It was a Commission on the Defence Forces, regardless of whether it should have been called something else or should have had a different focus. There are 130 recommendations the implementation group is overseeing. Some are with the Department and some with the Defence Forces. The focus is on trying to deliver those 130 recommendations. We could spend a lot of time looking backwards at why various things happened, such as why it was decided to do away with the Reserve office. We could do that with all sorts of things in the country, such as railway stations. I have put my focus on where we are on the 130 actions and what has to happen to implement them.

On cultural change, I think we all acknowledge the fantastic work done by our troops in different roles every day of the week. While much has been written on the transformation agenda and what needs to change, it would be remiss not to acknowledge wholesomely the positive contribution, the great work being done every day and the situation those people are in. As we sit in an office, they sit in a trench in Lebanon with missiles going overhead. They are putting themselves at risk for a greater good. You cannot do that work without a lot of very strong, positive things within your culture. While there is a focus in many of the reports on things that need to be improved, I acknowledge the things that are working and that allow the Defence Forces to deliver, and they come up at every session we have.

Where are the helicopters, Eamonn? I do not know.