Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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It will not come as any surprise to hear me talking about this Commencement matter. Coming from south Kildare, it is a topic that is very close to my heart. The military and defence family are very much part of the whole social, economic and professional fabric of Kildare and right around the country. Over the years, we have seen a lack of investment in our Defence Forces and we have a recruitment and retention problem, or challenge, I should say. It is really important that Government invests in recruitment and retention and in supporting the military families and the Defence Forces. Thanks to our present Taoiseach and outgoing Tánaiste, a really big commitment was ensured in both the Fianna Fáil manifesto and, subsequently, the programme for Government.

Part of the recommendations made by the commission, which were also accepted, related to the preservation and management of the Curragh Plains.I appreciate that the Minister of State is here to take this Commencement matter on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Simon Harris. We are all familiar with the Curragh, whether we are from Kildare or not. Many of us pass it regularly. It has an incredible history in terms of heritage and archaeology and it has very strong links with the racing industry, the defence industry and the sheep industry. Also, the flora and fauna there are quite unique to the whole area. However, there have been ongoing problems as regards the preservation and conservation of the Curragh Plains, not least of which are illegal encampments and waste management. Thankfully, this summer was not anywhere near as bad as previous summers. To be fair, those within the Department of Defence who have responsibility have acted quite quickly. A new regime is in place but the problem is not going away. The response needs to be stronger and better.

It is stated in the programme for Government that the Government will:

Implement a Conservation Plan for the Curragh, establishing a management plan to ensure its preservation, with careful consideration of which agency is best suited to manage this historic landscape.

To the best of my knowledge, that recommendation has not been implemented yet. Informal conversations suggest the National Parks and Wildlife Service as being best suited and I certainly think it would be a really good fit. This important element of the programme for Government reflects a growing concern right across the country about environmental degradation and the need for structured oversight of the Curragh. As well as being a protected national heritage site, the Curragh is obviously a military training ground. The conservation management plan was approved by Micheál Martin in late 2024. It is awaiting full implementation. We need to see that. We need to have decisions made on agency oversight. The main question I put to the Minister of State today is about this agency oversight and the funding and legislation that need to be put in place. We need to have a timely timeframe for this.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this really important matter and for her continued interest in the transformation of our Defence Forces. I am responding on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, who unfortunately cannot be here due to prior commitments. On his behalf, I welcome the opportunity to respond and I thank the Senator for bringing this matter to the forefront today.

The Tánaiste is deeply committed to the transformation of our Defence Forces into a modern, fit-for-purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges of today and the future. The Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment within the then programme for Government and its report was published on 9 February 2022. There were 130 recommendations in total, comprising of 69 main recommendations and 61 further sub-recommendations. The commission recommended significant change to the Defence Forces and to the defence provision in Ireland. It covered high-level Defence Forces structures, defence capability, organisation, culture and human resources, the Reserve Defence Force and, most importantly, funding. Given the significant recommendations contained within the report, detailed consideration of these recommendations was undertaken, with a high-level action plan and a memo for Government brought and approved on 12 July 2022. This involved the approval of a move to level of ambition 2 by 2028, as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission on the Defence Forces. This will result in the defence budget rising from €1.1 billion to €1.7 billion as per capital allocation under the national development plan, the largest increase in defence funding in the history of the State. This will allow for the required substantial transformation and investment in the recruitment and equipment that were identified by the commission.

The development of a detailed implementation plan was a key early action and key output from the opening phase of the transformation programme.The detailed implementation plan for the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces was published on 21 November 2023. This plan set out our ambitious programme of work to move from level of ambition 2, as well the significant and fundamental change for the Defence Forces that will be delivered under the following themes: strategic HR and cultural change; new command and control and joint structures to be established; services to be reformed and restructured; Reserve Defence Force to revitalised; and joint capability development to be implemented.

Much work has been achieved since the commission's report was published, with the recommendations implemented to date having a significant impact on members of the Defence Forces. This includes changes made to the existing Naval Service allowance as a means of simplifying current structures by consolidating the daily allowance and the seagoing commitment scheme into one enhanced allowance. In addition to this, the extension of private secondary healthcare to enlisted ranks was implemented in September 2023.

On recruitment, a number of initiatives have been progressed to counter staffing challenges to the Defence Forces. The Government agreed an increase in the minimum retirement age for permanent Defence Force personnel, to 62. This facilitated an increase in the maximum recruitment age, to 39, for those roles.

Senator O'Loughlin referenced agency oversight. She also mentioned funding and the legislative programme that is required. I will certainly take these matters back to the Tánaiste, in order that she can get a detailed response to the questions she has raised.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the work that has been done on recruitment and retention. I am disappointed that there is not anything in the response the Minister of State received from the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence's office in relation to the Curragh Plains. This is absolutely a key part here. We are halfway through the period from 2022 to 2028 to which the Minister of State referred and only one third of the recommendations have been implemented. Further to that, the programme for Government agreed in 2025 went further, particularly in respect of the protection of the Curragh Plains. The Minister of State has received no response in relation it. I take on board that he said he will bring that back to the Tánaiste's office. I would appreciate an update. He mentioned that we should expect an update in the next few weeks regarding the 130 recommendations. It is important we get that update. I hope it is timely. I look forward to tabling another Commencement matter to try to get further information on that.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I again thank the Senator for raising these important matters. The Commencement matter submitted by the Senator did not reference anything regarding the conservation or preservation plan for the Curragh Camp. However, I will raise that with officials to try to get a detailed briefing note to the Senator. I know how important it is to her. The Tánaiste assured me that he will provide an updated implementation plan. It will be published imminently. I will seek to ensure that the House is kept informed.

In regard to the importance of ensuring that areas under national conversation are protected, I listened to Senator very attentively. We have key agencies, such as the National Parks and Wildlife Service, which does tremendous work. That needs to be replicated in all areas of our country, not just in our national parks. The Curragh Camp is very much to the fore in that regard. I thank the Senator for raising the matter. We will get a response back for her.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State very much. We appreciate his time. I know it is busy. There is a vote being called in the Dáil. I thank him for taking a number of the Commencement matters.