Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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37. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of legal advisers that are employed by the Defence Forces; the cost of training such legal advisers; if the said personnel are required to reimburse the State for the training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32481/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The role of Legal Officers employed by the Defence Forces is to advise the Chief of Staff on legal matters pertaining to the Defence Forces. Separately, legal advice for the Minister is provided by the Office of the Attorney General. I am informed that there are currently a total of seven (7) Legal Officers employed in the Legal Service Branch of the Defence Forces. It is difficult to itemise training costs specifically attributable to training Legal Officers. This is due to many variables depending on the educational route chosen by the individual officer. By way of example, the cost attributable to a postgraduate who may have funded his/her own primary degree is different to the costs associated with an undergraduate Cadet who achieves his degree through the USAC (University Students Administrative Complement) Scheme. Part of training/educational costs can be covered also through a refund of fees scheme. The amount recoupable under this scheme varies from year to year according to the budgetary amounts allocated and the number of applicants. In addition, the Legal Services Branch has an annual budget for external courses as part of continuous professional development (CPD). This budget is set at €9,000 for 2017. Amounts recoupable also vary according to the number of applicants.

Further education with third level institutions is conditional on a requirement to sign a service undertaking which involves the serving of a period of time which reflects the investment in attaining training and skills. When members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) retire, resign their commissions or discharge from the Defence Forces, they are required to reimburse the Department of Defence for any period of their service undertaking that they have not served in lieu of their signed undertaking.

Officers who undertake professional training at the Honourable Society of Kings Inns or the Law Society do so under the various schemes open to all Defence Forces personnel in line with the Training and Education Policy and Strategy. The duration of the resultant undertaking is specific to each course taking into account a number of factors including overall cost.