Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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227. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the funding allocated to veterans' associations in the years 2020 to date; in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39280/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides support to two recognised Veterans Associations. These Veterans Associations, which represent all former personnel, are Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann (ONE), the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel, and the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA).

My Department engages on an ongoing basis with these Veterans Associations and with the Association of Retired Commissioned Officers (ARCO), and has entered into Service Level Agreements with ONE and IUNVA under which an annual grant is paid to both organisations in order to assist with their administrative overheads. As a further means of assistance, since 2021 my Department has also secured total funding of €500,000 under the Dormant Accounts Fund to assist ONE and IUNVA with specific special projects, and has applied for a further €200,000 under the Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan 2024.

Details of total financial supports provided to the relevant Veterans Associations in the period 2020 to 2022, and funds currently allocated for 2023, including funding under the Dormant Accounts Fund, are set out below.

Additionally, in line with the commitment in the current Programme for Government to "support the establishment of centres for members of the Defence Forces", my Department continues to facilitate, where possible, the establishment of further ONE Veterans Support Centres and INUVA Posts around the country.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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228. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the funding allocated to the office of veterans affairs in 2023; the amount expended; the estimated cost of fully staffing and resourcing the office, in line with the Report of the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39281/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The establishment of an Office of Veterans Affairs was one of 130 recommendations included in the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces which was published on 9th of February 2022.

Following detailed consideration by the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces of the recommendations in the report, a High Level Action Plan and a Memorandum for Government were brought to Government and approved on 12th of July 2022. The High Level Action Plan set out the response of Government in relation to each of the 130 individual recommendations: Accept, Accept in Principle, Further Evaluation or Revert. The recommendation to establish an Office of Veterans Affairs was accepted in principle, meaning that further consideration is required on the optimal approach to meeting the intent of the Commission.

Work is underway on preparing a detailed implementation plan which will be published in the coming weeks. The plan, when published, will set out how the implementation of this recommendation will be progressed and the proposed timeframe.

In the meantime, my officials and I meet regularly with the recognised Veterans Associations to discuss matters of concern to their members.