Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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20. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if has met with the representative organisations from the permanent Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5044/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I have not yet had the opportunity to meet with the Representative Associations for the Defence Forces, namely PDFORRA and RACO since taking up the role of Minister for Defence on 17 December 2022.However I did speak with both organisations soon after I was appointed .  I look forward to meeting and engaging with the Representative Associations, in due course, on matters that fall within the scope of representation.

I would also like to add that both RACO and PDFORRA have access to ongoing mechanisms for addressing concerns regarding their members pay and conditions.

Officials in my Department regularly engage with the Representative Associations on matters within the scope of representation via the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force.

This is the key avenue available for the Representative Associations to raise matters of concern to their members with my Department.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Conciliation & Arbitration Scheme is the mechanism for addressing industrial issues within the Defence sector.

In line with the Irish model of industrial relations, it is a voluntary mechanism which provides structures for management and staff to engage on collective issues that may arise. These structures have helped to maintain positive industrial relations in the sector over a number of years.

A revised Conciliation and Arbitration scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force is in place since 2020. An independent Chair of Conciliation Council, which the Permanent Defence Force representative associations had sought as a key outcome of this review, was appointed in March 2020.  

A review of the revised Scheme, which is now three years in operation, is scheduled to commence shortly.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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21. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if Collins Barracks, Cork will be the location of the headquarters of the military formation that will control military operations in the southern region of the country, in the new Defence Forces structure that emerges as a result of the recommendations set out in the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4948/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government, the report of the Commission was published on 9th February 2022.  The Commission undertook a significant body of work, encompassing wide-ranging terms of reference.  It recommended significant changes for the Defence Forces and Defence provision in Ireland. It covers high level Defence Forces structures, defence capabilities, organisation, culture and human resources, the Reserve Defence Force and funding.  

In July last year Government approved a High-Level Action Plan in response to the Commission report.  As part of this, approval was given for a move, over a six-year period, to a level of Defence Forces’ capability equivalent to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2), as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission, which will entail funding increases to reach a defence budget of c. €1.5 billion (at January 2022 prices) by 2028 through the annual Estimates process.

Implementation structures have been put in place encompassing an Implementation Oversight Group, a High-Level Steering Board and an Implementation Management Office (IMO) to support the implementation of the overall transformation programme required to implement recommendations from the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces.

The High Level Action Plan also sets out all the recommendations contained within the report and designates a response of Accept, Accept in Principle, Further Evaluation or Revert.

There are a number of recommendations contained in the report which may impact on the structure of the Defence Forces including, that the structure of the Army be reviewed, and in that context, the disposition of Units across the Defence Forces may be considered. 

The recommendation, that the structure of the Army be reviewed, was identified as an Early Action in the High Level Action Plan. Military authorities are progressing the establishment of an office of Army Force design which will undertake the work required to give effect to this recommendation. The Implementation Management Office is working on the production of a detailed implementation plan for the remaining recommendations which will include those which may assist with informing any decision about Army headquarters.

As the Deputy will appreciate, it would not be appropriate for me to engage in speculative discussion on this matter prior to completion of the ongoing process.