John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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387. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will detail both the maximum and the current strength levels of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51594/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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388. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will detail both the maximum and the current strength levels of the Naval Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51595/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 387 and 388 together.

The following table details the current strength and establishment of the Permanent Defence Force, as of the 31 August 2022.

Ongoing challenges in relation to recruitment and retention in the Defence Forces have been acknowledged. My focus is on bringing the strength of the Defence Forces to the numbers required to meet the agreed level of ambition arising from the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces and a number of initiatives are being implemented to address this and also counter current staffing challenges.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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389. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the current total strength of Air Corps personnel and the breakdown of the number of qualified military pilots, cadet pilots in training, qualified military aircraft maintenance technicians, qualified military avionics technicians and military apprentices in training of both aforementioned disciplines. [51596/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Air Corps, as at 30 September 2022, is 756 wholetime equivalent personnel.

The table below shows the strength by requested stream: -

*Cadets are scheduled to commence their Pilot Wings course once they graduate as Officers.

A Military Aircraft Technician (MAT) is an individual who has qualified from an Air Corps apprenticeship, or a direct entrant deemed to have the appropriate qualifications to work on aircraft in the various maintenance roles. Personnel in these roles cover the broad range of disciplines within the Air Corps e.g. avionics technicians, aircraft mechanics, crew leaders, and aircraft inspectors.

All MATs are employed in the maintenance of aircraft. At any one time, they may be employed in any of the broad range of maintenance disciplines, be in training, or serving overseas. The total number of qualified MATs is therefore inclusive of those who may be assigned to avionics duties, or any of the other disciplines, at any one time.

As outlined, there is a strong training pipeline for MATs consisting of 66 apprentices. Of these apprentices, 19 are undergoing basic military training. The remaining 47 are undergoing their qualification process and will, on successful completion, be streamed into rotary, fixed-wing or avionics technician categories.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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390. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of Naval Service operations and patrols which have been cancelled to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51597/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Naval Service is the State's principal sea-going agency and is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. The primary day-to-day tasking of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with the State's obligations as a member of the European Union. In terms of fishery protection the Naval Service is tasked with patrolling all Irish waters from the shoreline to the outer limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone. These patrols are carried out on a regular and frequent basis and are directed to all areas of Irish waters as necessary.

A range of factors including adverse weather conditions and unscheduled maintenance, as well as staffing issues can impact scheduled patrol days.

A total of 30 scheduled Naval Service patrol days have been cancelled up to 30 September 2022.

Notwithstanding some challenges being experienced, the Naval Service continues to carry out the roles assigned by Government, including fishery protection and maritime security operations.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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391. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the current number of women in the Defence Forces by rank; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51598/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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392. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the current number of women in the Defence Forces who are currently serving overseas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51599/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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393. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of women members of the Defence Forces who have left in 2022, by month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51600/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 391, 392 and 393 together.

As at 31 August 2022, the latest date for which figures are available, the strength of female personnel in the Permanent Defence Force stood at 579, of whom 28 were serving overseas.

The requested breakdown, by rank, of the 579 female PDF personnel is as follows:

As of 31^stAugust 2022, 36 females had been discharged from the PDF.

Typically, discharges include personnel who leave for a variety of reasons including on age grounds, at end of contract and voluntary discharges and would also include any trainees who exited prior to completion of their initial training.

In line with current policies and commitments, and the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces, a number of initiatives are in place with a view to increasing the level of female participation in the Defence Forces. Additionally, special consideration is paid to women as a target group for recruitment within the general recruitment framework.

I remain committed to maximising recruitment and retention of personnel, both male and female, to maintain the capacity of the Defence Forces to operate effectively across all roles, to undertake the tasks laid down by Government.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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394. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the current strength of the Reserve Defence Force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51601/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Reserve Defence Force (RDF) is comprised of the First Line Reserve, the Army Reserve (AR) and the Naval Service Reserve (NSR). The Government remains absolutely committed to the advancement of the RDF. The White Paper on Defence is quite clear that there is a continued requirement to retain and develop the Reserve and the Government remains fully committed to this.

The strength of the Reserve Defence Force, as of 31 July 2022, is set out below:

The Deputy will be aware that the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, published in February, contains many detailed recommendations, including on the future structure and role of the RDF.

A High Level Action Plan (HLAP) that sets out the Government’s response to the Report has also been approved with some specific initiatives including the immediate commencement of planning for the establishment of an Office of Reserve Affairs with the priority objective of developing a regeneration plan for the Reserve Defence Force.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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395. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of women in the Reserve Defence Force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51602/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It is Government policy to increase female participation rates at all levels of the Defence Forces, including the Reserve Defence Force (RDF), in order to increase capability and to better reflect the society from which the Defence Forces are drawn and serve. As of 31 July 2022, the effective female strength of the RDF is 194 members.

In line with current policies and commitments, a number of initiatives have been implemented to increase the level of female participation in the Defence Forces. For example:

- Special consideration is paid to women as a target group for recruitment within the general recruitment framework, including a Female Recruitment Standing Committee reporting on initiatives for 2022, with dedicated female recruitment teams proposed. In addition, a female specific "Always on" (constant targeting of the female demographic) campaign commenced in October 2021.

- The Defence Forces actively engage with schools to conduct career talks and regularly attend events aimed at future career choices for schools.

- A Gender Equality and Diversity Officer has been appointed to promote gender equality policies and training within the Defence Forces. The Defence Forces are committed to gender equality and employ a gender perspective in the planning and execution of operations both at home and overseas and in all policies and regulations. Gender Advisors are available to all Brigades and Services and trained Gender Focal Points are deployed with all overseas units and ships in order to promote a gender perspective in operations.

- A Defence Forces Women's Network was established with the aim of increasing the participation of female personnel at all levels of the organisation.

Initiatives in place to recruit individuals to the Reserve include supports provided to maximise RDF recruitment, including use of social media, promotion through the DF Press Office, outreach activities by RDF members, and the use of PDF exit interviews which contain information on applying to the RDF. In addition, a number of measures to streamline the recruitment and induction process for the RDF are in train and it is hoped that they will yield a positive outcome.

The Report from the Commission on the Defence Forces includes a number of recommendations relating to gender and diversity in the Defence Forces. A High Level Action Plan (HLAP) that sets out the Government’s response to this report has also been approved. Some specific initiatives include the immediate commencement of planning for the establishment of an Office of Reserve Affairs with the priority objective of developing a regeneration plan for the Reserve Defence Force. In addition, the Defence Forces Women's network is to be extended to members of the Reserve.

The Government remains committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women throughout the Defence Forces and to the full participation by women in all aspects of Defence Forces activities.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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396. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the strength of the Reserve Defence Forces for the past five years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51603/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Reserve Defence Force (RDF) is comprised of the First Line Reserve (FLR), the Army Reserve (AR) and the Naval Service Reserve (NSR). The combined effective strength of the AR and NSR, at year end, for the past five years is set out below:

The strength of the First Line Reserve, at year end, for the same period is as follows:

The Government remains committed to on-going recruitment in the RDF.

I am very cognisant of the fact that the RDF strength level remains lower than the Establishment figure. However, I am aware of the many initiatives in place to recruit individuals to the Reserve. These include supports provided to maximise RDF recruitment, including use of social media, promotion through the DF Press Office, outreach activities by RDF members, and the use of PDF exit interviews which contain information on applying to the RDF. In addition, I am advised by the Military Authorities that a number of measures to streamline recruitment and induction process for the RDF are in train and it is hoped that they will yield a positive outcome.

While the commitment to restoring the strength of the RDF is not in doubt, it is noted the same personnel and resources are utilised for both PDF and RDF recruitment. Given the competing recruitment demands at present, PDF recruitment is, and will remain a priority. However, RDF recruitment will continue to be progressed to the greatest extent possible.

Heretofore, there was no provision in the Defence Acts to allow RDF personnel to be deployed overseas. However, the Defence (Amendment) Act 2021 has been signed into law, which serves to update the Defence Legislation on the use of the RDF on a voluntary basis, on-island and overseas in support of the Permanent Defence Force.

The Deputy will be aware that the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces (CODF), published last February, contains many detailed recommendations, including on the future structure and role of the RDF. As the Deputy will also be aware, in July, I announced that the Government has approved a move to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2), as set out in the capability framework by the Commission.

This will result in the Defence budget rising from €1.1 billion to €1.5 billion, in 2022 prices, by 2028, the largest increase in Defence funding in the history of the State. This will allow for the required substantial transformation and investment in recruitment and equipment that were identified by the Commission.

A High Level Action Plan (HLAP) that sets out the Government’s response to the CODF has also been approved.

Some specific initiatives include the immediate commencement of planning for the establishment of an Office of Reserve Affairs with the priority objective of developing a regeneration plan for the Reserve Defence Force.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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397. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the cost of increasing the establishment figure of the Defence Forces by 2,000 to 11,500 personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51604/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Last July the Government approved a move to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2), as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission on the Defence Forces. The move to LOA2 will require an additional 2,000 personnel (civil and military) over and above the current establishment figures, with related, ongoing recruitment work now being facilitated through the Defence Forces recruitment campaign, ‘BE MORE'.

A key enabler supporting this initiative will be the recruitment of the Head of Transformation and the Head of Strategic HR n the Defence Forces, as outlined in the High Level Action Plan for the Commission on the Defence Forces. The external advertisement and progression of both these roles are vital early actions to be completed within 6 months of the Government Decision

Ultimately, the costing of the additional numbers will be subject to a detailed workforce planning exercise. In that context, and commensurate with the associated levels of organisational change required, final, definitive costings are currently not available.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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398. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the current capital expenditure budget for the Defence Forces for 2022 to 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51605/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The White Paper on Defence 2015, reinforced by the White Paper Update 2019, sets out the Government’s medium term policy for Defence. It is recognised that the principal demand drivers of Defence capital requirements are the ongoing renewal, retention and acquisition of military equipment along with the development and upgrade of Defence Forces built infrastructure.

The acquisition of military equipment is pursued through a comprehensive Equipment Development Plan which provides a consolidated, structured basis for investment in military equipment to maintain and develop necessary capabilities. Similarly, a Defence Forces Built Infrastructure Programme sets out the requirements for essential infrastructure development works over a medium term timeframe. These strategic frameworks combine to provide the basis for medium term equipment and infrastructural planning and investment requirements for the Defence Forces.

Multi-Annual capital funding allocations are framed by the overarching National Development Plan, with annual allocations negotiated as part of the annual Estimates process. In 2021, a mid term review of the National Development Plan was undertaken and the capital allocation for Defence was increased to €566 million for the period 2022 to 2025, with annual allocations as follows –

As part of the Budget Estimates process for 2023, and in line with this Government’s commitment to ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces, the Defence capital allocation for 2023 has increased significantly, by €35 million, to €176 million, a 25% increase on 2022, an allocation which represents the single biggest annual capital investment ever provided to Defence.

This increase in funding reinforces commitments made by this Government to providing a financial platform for the Defence Sector for the required transformation, as recommended by the Commission on the Defence Forces.

Many of the Defence Equipment projects are complex, multi-annual and have long lead-in times. The certainty of funding provided by the multi-annual allocations outlined in the National Development Plan provides a baseline which enables the Department and the Defence Forces to plan, prioritise and deliver on scheduled projects.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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399. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the capital expenditure for the Defence Forces from 2017 to 2022, tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51606/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Defence capital expenditure over the period from 2017 to 2022 is outlined in the table below:

Vote 36 (Defence) Capital Expenditure 2017 to 2022:

The principal demand drivers of capital expenditure for the Defence Forces are the ongoing renewal, retention and acquisition of military equipment along with the development and upgrade of Defence Forces built infrastructure. The level of capital funding provided since 2017 has facilitated an ongoing programme of Defence equipment replacement and infrastructural development which aligns with White Paper objectives.

Many of the Defence Forces equipment projects are complex, multi-annual and have long lead-in times. However, internal strategic planning frameworks aligned with the certainty provided from multi-annual funding envelopes have enabled the Department and the Defence Forces to plan, prioritise and deliver on a broad range of capital investment programmes/projects over this timeframe, including, inter alia,

- the Naval Vessel Renewal and Replacement Programme;

- the Maritime Patrol Aircraft Programme and

- the midlife upgrade of the Army's fleet of Mowag armoured personnel carriers.

It has also facilitated a comprehensive upgrade and modernisation of Defence Forces Built Infrastructure across Army, Naval and Air Corps platforms.

Capital investment has been increasing over recent years, however, similar to many other Public Service Organisations, capital investment in Defence was impacted somewhat by Covid-19 and supply chain difficulties in 2021. The capital expenditure allocation for 2022 is €141 million and current indications are that this allocation will be fully expended by year-end.