Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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103.To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if his Department will be prioritising the progression of any specific pieces of legislation prior to the Dáil summer recess; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24697/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In terms of specific pieces of legislation, the priority for my Department is the progression of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024 through both Houses of the Oireachtas before the summer recess. The Bill has passed Second and Committee Stages in Dáil Eireann and the Report Stage debate is scheduled for the 12th of June.

In summary, this Bill, which covers many aspects of the Defence Acts, will:

• give effect to a key recommendation of the Independent Review Group on Dignity and Equality issues in the Defence Forces (IRG) in relation to the establishment on a statutory basis of an External Oversight Body of the Defence Forces;
• establish a statutory framework for the Minister for Defence to consent to the military representative associations to associate with ICTU and to impose the conditions that will apply to the granting of any such consent; and
• bring forward a number of important miscellaneous amendments to the Defence Acts and an amendment to the Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Act 2004.