Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Candidates applying for positions in the Defence Forces are required to meet specific criteria, which include medical standards, for military service, as laid down in Defence Forces Regulations, made pursuant to the Defence Act 1954, as amended and extended. These requirements are based on the professional advice of the Medical Corps and having regard to the nature of the job, the duties of military service and the training exercises undertaken by members of the Defence Forces. There are currently no plans to change these Regulations.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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151. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence to report on his Department’s assessment of the sonar capabilities of the Defence Forces; what plans his Department is considering to improve sonar capabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56767/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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My priority, as Minister for Defence, is to ensure the operational capacity of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained and developed. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government, as set out in the White Paper on Defence. Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are being considered in the context of the capability development and equipment development planning process.

There is a significant body of work currently underway to ensure that the Defence Forces have the required capabilities with equipment projects in various stages of the project lifecycle.

I am advised that the procurement process for a multi-beam sonar system for the P60 class of vessels is well advanced and is currently at the tender evaluation stage of a public procurement competition, with all due diligence being conducted prior to the awarding of the tender.

In addition, a civil-military working group has been established to progress a project for the enhancement of subsea awareness capabilities, as recommended in the Commission on the Defence Forces and referenced in the Detailed Implementation Plan published in November 2023. This project is underway and the Needs Phase which sets out the rational and justification for the project is due to complete in quarter 1 of 2024. As this project progresses through the phases of the new Infrastructure Guidelines, various options will be assessed to determine the capability most suited to fulfil the requirement.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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152. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence to provide an update on his Department’s efforts to develop primary radar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56768/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The development of a primary radar capability was one of the key recommendations made in the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. Demonstrating the Government’s commitment to implementing this recommendation, one of the Early Actions identified in the subsequent High Level Action Plan published in response to the Commission’s report, was to commence planning for military radar capabilities.

The Detailed Implementation Plan released in November 2023 builds on the progress made to date and sets out the planned timeline for delivery of military radar by 2028. The military radar programme is an ambitious and complex programme which includes ground based, maritime and primary radar systems.

A civil / military project team established in 2023 are continuing their work to identity requirements, research various delivery options as well as consideration of approaches internationally with the objective of learning from our EU colleagues. Significant progress has been made to date and the Needs Phase which sets out the rational and justification for the project is due to complete in quarter 2 of 2024. Delivery of primary radar is a key capability priority for me as Tánaiste and Minister for Defence and I am determined to ensure its delivery within the earliest timeframe.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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153. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will report on the implementation of the Working Time Directive in the Defence Forces; if he will list the duties which civilian and military management are engaged in with regard to determining which of those may fall within or outside of the derogation from the Working Time Directive, post its application to the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56804/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to assure the Deputy that I remain fully committed to ensuring that the provisions of the Working Time Directive are applied, where appropriate, to members of the Defence Forces. Action 28, of the Strategic Framework, published on 26 September last, stipulated that the civil-military management policy position on the implementation of the Working Time Directive within the Defence Forces would be finalised by the end of December 2023.

That management position was submitted to me and I am currently examining the paper in full.

Significant consultations have taken place between the PDF Representative Associations and civilian-military management to reach this point and I wish to express my appreciation to all parties for their constructive engagement in the extensive dialogue which has taken place.

As the Deputy will appreciate, I do not intend, at this point, to share the details of the final management position. As Minister for Defence, I will ultimately be making a determination on that position in due course.

However, as the Deputy will also be aware, the responsibility for developing the legislative framework to remove the blanket exemption for the Defence Forces in the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997, lies with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE). Upon my determination on the matter, my officials will thereafter commence formal engagement with the Department.