Results 1-20 of 161 for defence forces strength speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Naval Service (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The establishment of the Naval Service is 1,094 personnel and the strength, as at 31 March 2024, was 722 personnel. The military authorities have advised that the strength of the Naval Service stood at 936 personnel in 2019, 902 in 2020, 875 in 2021, 798 in 2022, and 725 in 2023. The report of the Commission on the Defence Forces approved a move, over a six-year period, to a level of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: As of the 31 March 2024 the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,510 personnel. This was comprised of 6,087 Army, 701 Air Corps and 722 Naval Service personnel. The agreed overall establishment strength was recently increased by 100 to 9,600 to account for the first cohort of Commission on the Defence Forces (CODF) appointments. Whilst recruitment and retention challenges...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Following the publication of the Report of the Independent Review Group on Dignity and Equality issues in the Defence Forces in March 2023, I set out my priority to develop one Strategic Framework for the transformation of the Defence Forces, fully understood by everyone, that has the appropriate governance and reporting mechanisms, and is properly resourced. The purpose of the Strategic...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 13 together. The military authorities have advised that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force, as at 31 March stood at 7,510 personnel comprised of 6,087 Army, 701 Air Corps and 722 Naval Service personnel. Tables containing the specific breakdown of inductions, discharges, applications, interviews and numbers offered employment, as requested...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The recruitment and retention challenges experienced by the Defence Forces, not least in the Naval Service, have been well documented. In an effort to address the continued decline in the overall strength level of the Naval Service, significant investment is being made to enhance the terms and conditions of personnel, in such areas as improved pay and conditions, accommodation and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: As of the 31 March 2024 the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,510 personnel. This was comprised of 6,087 Army, 701 Air Corps and 722 Naval Service personnel. The agreed overall establishment strength was recently increased by 100 to 9,600 to account for the first cohort of Commission on the Defence Forces (CODF) appointments. Changes have been introduced by this...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 46 together. The Government remains committed to bolstering the numbers in the Reserve Defence Force (RDF). One such recent measure in support of this commitment has been the increase in upper recruitment and mandatory retirement ages for the RDF to match comparable increases for the Permanent Defence Force, which were brought into effect in March. ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The military authorities have advised that the strength of the Naval Service stood at 722 personnel as at 31 March 2024. As of the same date, 356 applications were received and there were 31 inductions. I have previously acknowledged the recruitment and retention challenges in the Naval Service and I continue to be committed to maximising recruitment capacity and introducing measures to...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Budgets (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The 2024 Revised Estimates Volume (REV) provides an allocation of €1.25 billion in Defence Group funding, an increase of €40 million over 2023. The Defence Vote Group includes the Defence and Army Pensions Votes. The allocations for 2024 are €933 million for the Defence Vote and €317 million for the Army Pensions Vote. This significant level of funding will further...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: As at 31st March 2024, the latest date for which such data is available, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force was 7,510 personnel comprised of 6,087 Army personnel, 701 Air Corps personnel and 722 Naval Service personnel. Whilst recruitment and retention challenges have been acknowledged, a range of measures have been introduced by this Government to address these and make the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: As of the 31 March 2024, the latest date for which such data is available, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,510 personnel. As one of the recommendations from the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, Government approved a move, over a six-year period, to a level of Permanent Defence Force capability equivalent to Level of Ambition 2. That would require an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council, UN Matters and Individually Tailored Partnership Programme with NATO: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (14 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: ...experiences. When I was in Colombia recently - we are involved in the peace process there - we highlighted the importance of that strand to any peace process. In the context of military and defence spending, we are coming from a low base. Given the strength of our GDP, it will be a long time before we get to 2%. That is because our GDP is quite artificial in one sense. However, we...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Following the publication of the Report of the Independent Review Group on Dignity and Equality issues in the Defence Forces in March 2023, I set out my priority to develop one Strategic Framework for the transformation of the Defence Forces, fully understood by everyone, that has the appropriate governance and reporting mechanisms, and is properly resourced. The purpose of the Strategic...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The military authorities have advised that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force, as at 31 March stood at 7,510. The military authorities have provided the requested recruitment processes details in the table below and advise that applications made in one year may not complete the recruitment process within the same calendar year. 2023 2024* ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Following the publication of the Report of the Independent Review Group on Dignity and Equality issues in the Defence Forces in March 2023, I set out my priority to develop one Strategic Framework for the transformation of the Defence Forces, fully understood by everyone, that has the appropriate governance and reporting mechanisms, and is properly resourced. The purpose of the Strategic...

Europe Day: Statements (8 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: ...to acknowledge any progress and demanding that Ireland take a more anti-European Union position. No cause has been more consistently and overwhelmingly wrong than the cause of anti-European Union forces on the right and left. I recently reread an account of the debate about Ireland's decision to join the European Economic Community just over 50 years ago. It is a remarkable testament...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Following the publication of the Report of the Independent Review Group on Dignity and Equality issues in the Defence Forces in March 2023, I set out my priority to develop one Strategic Framework for the transformation of the Defence Forces, fully understood by everyone, that has the appropriate governance and reporting mechanisms, and is properly resourced. The purpose of the Strategic...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (16 Apr 2024)

Micheál Martin: The strength of the PDF, as at 29 February 2024 the latest date for which such figures are available, stood at 7,451 personnel. Induction numbers fluctuate from year to year. Budget 2024 allocated €1.23 billion for the Defence Sector, which included a provision for the recruitment and training of a net additional 400 personnel in 2024. As part of strategies to achieve this, a Joint...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 Apr 2024)

Micheál Martin: As of 29 March 2024, all Permanent Defence Forces personnel who currently have a mandatory retirement age of less than 60, may remain in service until 60 subject to fulfilling certain existing criteria, for example physical and medical fitness. This strategic move will have a two-fold effect. For the organisation, it will help to address, in part, the issue of retention by allowing...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 Apr 2024)

Micheál Martin: The strength of the Permanent Defence Force, as at 29 February 2024 the latest date for which such figures are available, was 7,451 personnel comprised of 6,018 Army personnel, 702 Air Corps personnel, and 731 Naval Service personnel. The military authorities have advised they are in the process of confirming the number of personnel in each arm of the Reserve Defence Force and this...