Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank everyone who spoke for their contributions on this very important subject. Providing for the defence of the state is a fundamental role of any government. Each country addresses its needs in the context of its geopolitical position, prevailing security environment and the level of funding available. As part of the defence planning process, the White Paper on Defence in 2015 and the White Paper update of 2019 were based on security environment assessments carried out by the interdepartmental working groups. These threat assessments indicated a low probability of a conventional military attack on the State and pointed to the fact that security challenges are such that no single country can deal with them alone.

The commission's report covers a number of distinct areas to be given careful consideration. The levels of ambition set out vary considerably. The recommended first step to level of ambition 2 from current capability requires a 50% increase to current defence spending. The personnel increase recommended under LOA 2 would require an increase of over 3,000 personnel above current strength. Even with an increased capacity to induct and train recruits and cadets, such an increase would require a number of years to implement.

Similarly, the recommended equipment capabilities would require lead-in times, following in-depth analysis of exactly what function these platforms and capabilities were to fulfil. The structural changes recommended would be the most significant in the defence sector since the foundation of the State and would be a major shift from delegating military command from the Minister to a number of senior military ranks to delegating it from the Minister to one individual, the chief of defence. This and other structural recommendations, due to their significance and impact, require detailed cross-departmental discussion and deliberation. They will also require the input of legal expertise, as any changes in this area would most likely require changes to legislation.

The report has a major focus on people issues. The people who serve in the Defence Forces, both the Permanent Defence Force and the Reserve Defence Force, are their greatest asset. They will be central to changes arising from this report. There are wide-ranging and significant recommendations in the report. While there are policies, systems and procedures currently in place for dealing with allegations and complaints of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, it is clear from the strong views expressed at the meetings the Minister has had with stakeholders, including serving members, Women of Honour and the men and women of honour group, that the pervading culture in the Defence Forces and those policies, systems and procedures have not served, and are not serving, all Defence Forces personnel well. In response, the Minister established the independent review into dignity and equality issues in the Defence Forces to ensure the Defence Forces are a safe workplace for all current serving members, while also reviewing historical allegations.

The commission makes recommendations around strategic HR development and working arrangements to reflect the changes that have occurred in the wider employment area, to encourage retention and to facilitate more flexible working arrangements. The commission recommends a number of civilian appointments within the Defence Forces' structure, such as the head of transformation already mentioned but also possibly in the area of strategic HR and finance and possible greater civilianisation of certain posts which would free up military personnel for front-line duties.

The commission also makes recommendations around pay structures but it must be pointed out that their terms of reference did not include reviewing pay rates. Public sector pay policy is within the remit of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Now that the commission has finished its work, and in keeping with the commitment in the programme for Government, the Minister for Defence will consult with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on the establishment of a permanent pay review body. The Minister for Defence is keen to make the Defence Forces an employer of choice. The Defence Forces offer an interesting, exciting and varied career for people and it is important that the positive aspects of a life serving in the Defence Forces are made clear, together with the totality of the benefits of working in the Defence Forces.

The Reserve Defence Force has seen a reduction in numbers in recent years. The commission is clear in its ambition in this area and how the knowledge, skills and experience within the RDF ranks can be better captured and utilised. The Reserve is a key aspect of contingent capability and improvements are required in how we recruit and utilise the Reserve. This report gives an opportunity to revitalise the RDF and better employ the skills of its members.

The report's finding on the level of defence funding is clear and highlights the difference between defence funding in Ireland and other western and northern European countries of similar size. This reflects the differing priority given to defence spending in these countries and their own geopolitical considerations. The White Paper highlighted the importance of capability development and since 2015, over €806 million has been invested in the renewal, upgrade and acquisition of military equipment and infrastructure. Capital spending has increased from €89.4 million in 2015 to €129.5 million in 2021. This is an increase of €40.1 million or 45% on 2015 expenditure. In the future, multi-annual capital funding of €566 million has been allocated to defence out to 2025 under the national development plan, with €141 million provided in 2022. While this has been a positive development, the commission's report highlights the scale of the challenge that exists in bridging capability gaps.

There have been calls for quick movement on the recommendations within the report and the Minister is keen to do so, where possible, but there are significant recommendations that must be discussed and considered fully and their possible implications examined. The commission acknowledged in its report that some of the recommendations will impact significantly on current governance structures. Subject to Government decisions on the report, the future governance and oversight framework of the Minister and the Department of Defence may need to be redesigned to provide effective assurance and accountability. As this was outside its terms of reference, it was not developed in the commission's report and, therefore, will require significant work to explore and align the ramifications of certain recommendations and that, in turn, will determine how other recommendations progress.

Other aspects to be investigated will also include any possible legislative impacts and what changes this will require. A number of recommendations and commentary in the report concern other Departments and agencies, and these will require interdepartmental consultation and consideration to fully explore the best way forward on these issues. Significant work is currently ongoing, which the commission has referred to in its report, as was outlined at the beginning of this debate. This important work will continue. As the Minister said in his opening statement, he wants to ensure that he is committed to progressing the work carried out by the commission and seizing this opportunity to develop Defence Forces that are agile and modern, designed not just for today but for the future.

The Minister welcomes the debate on this important subject. There needs to be a wider debate on defence provision in Ireland beyond the normal actors. The Minister looks forward to expanding this debate and encouraging open discussion around the serious issues and recommendations in the commission report. The Minister intends to examine the use of seminars or other consultative structures to encourage and lead this debate. He may not agree with all that has been said today but the Minister welcomes the fact that we are having the discussion and thanks all Deputies for their contributions. Further discussion will be required as part of the deliberations of this significant report. I encourage all Deputies to be a part of that conversation.

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