Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 93 together.

The programme for Government committed to the establishment of an independent commission to undertake a comprehensive review of the Defence Forces. The independent Commission on the Defence Forces was established by the Government in December 2020 and its terms of reference provide for it to examine and make recommendations regarding the structures and size of the Defence Forces, defence capabilities, HR polices and strategies, the Reserve Defence Force, governance and high level command and control in the Defence Forces, and pay structures.

The commission has undertaken a broad consultative process and has also met with a wide stakeholder groups, including the Defence Forces representative associations, commissioned and enlisted members of the Defence Forces, senior officials and personnel from my Department and the Defence Forces as well as other groups. Members of the commission also conducted site visits to military locations across the country, meeting nearly 1,000 military personnel. In addition, the commission held two webinars, one in conjunction with the Royal Irish Academy and another in conjunction with the Institute of International and European Affairs.

The commission is finalising its work with a view to completing its report as soon as possible. At that point, the report will be fully considered. Given the significant issues provided for in the commission's terms of reference, there will be a requirement to consult ministerial colleagues on any matters that fall within their remit and to consider the legal and governance implications of the commission's recommendations, where required. I will also be seeking the views of my Department and the Defence Forces. When these deliberations are completed, I intend to revert to the Government with a proposed plan of action.

I would like to assure the Deputies that the Defence Forces representative associations will be consulted on all matters that fall within the scope of representation relating to the implementation of any approved plan. As the Deputies will appreciate, in advance of the publication of the report and the subsequent consideration of its recommendations, it would be inappropriate for me to engage in speculation regarding any of the commission's potential recommendations or the response to those recommendations.

We will need to have a very comprehensive debate in this House on the report of the commission. I have not yet seen a final draft of the report. I have met with the chair to get an update in terms of where the commission's work is at, and so I have a reasonable idea as to where it is going in terms of recommendations and approach, but I await the final draft of the report. I hope that in the next couple of weeks this process will conclude. I will need to bring the report to the Government, but I would like to have a significant amount of time set aside in this House and in the Seanad to debate the contents of the commission's report. This is potentially a watershed moment in the context of the future of defence policy in Ireland, how the Defence Forces are resourced and structured and what we ask of them in the context of new and developing threats.

I want to try to build all-party consensus, if possible, on how we respond to this report and the resources that will be required to respond to it comprehensively, which I believe may well be significant. In my view, this is arguably the most important strategic report for defence and the Defence Forces that we have seen in a very long time.

We need to give it the time and attention it deserves when it is published which, as I said, it will be in February. I suspect this will happen in the first half of that month.

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