Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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19. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will provide an update on the current involvement of Irish Defence Forces personnel in UNIFIL missions in Lebanon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5944/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Defence Forces has informed my Department that the current situation in the Area of Operations (AO) where our Defence Forces operate in Lebanon remains one of significant instability. Though there has been a notable decrease in kinetic activities since the start of the recent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, but significant uncertainty remains regarding future actions of actors in the region.

The deputy may be aware of the recent attack on a UNIFIL convoy travelling to Beirut Airport last Friday, 14th February, where the Deputy Force Commander and several other UN Peacekeepers were injured. No Irish were involved in this incident but it serves to highlight the unpredictable nature of the situation.

Attacks on peacekeepers are flagrant violations of international law, and I am shocked by this outrageous attack on those serving to restore security and stability in Lebanon. Ireland encourages both sides to uphold their commitments under the ceasefire agreement.

I can confirm that a full rotation of Irish troops to UNIFIL was successfully completed in late November of last year. Troops of the 125th Battalion will be deployed for six months, under the command of Lt. Col Shane Rockett. I wish to take today's opportunity however to acknowledge the 124th battalion, under Lt. Col Tom Fox, who served under difficult conditions last Autumn during the height of the conflict, and who returned home last November.

I can assure the Deputy that every effort is being made to support all personnel who are serving in Lebanon and that these personnel continue to take every precaution in terms of force protection. I wish to underline that the safety and security of Ireland’s Defence Forces stationed in Lebanon remains of paramount concern to myself and to the Government. I wish to also reiterate that the Defence Forces will continue to carry out its mission in southern Lebanon in line with the UNIFIL mandate, acting as the eyes and ears of the international community on the ground in the region, calling out and drawing attention to activities contrary to international humanitarian law where they occur.

Noel McCarthy (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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20. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence to outline the strength of the Defence Forces in each respective year from 2020 to 2024 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6083/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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A table containing requested strength figures, as provided by the military authorities for each year from 2020 to 2024, will be provided to the Deputy.

We have previously acknowledged the recruitment and retention challenges in the PDF. To address these, a range of measures have been introduced. The maximum age of recruitment has increased to 39 years for those roles that had a recruitment age below that, and to 50 years for Direct Entry Specialists. The mandatory retirement age has been increased to 62. Private secondary healthcare has been rolled out to all PDF members. The Patrol Duty allowance payable to Naval Service personnel at sea has been doubled after ten days at sea in a calendar year and the Naval Service tax credit has been extended for a further five years.

There has also been significant progress on pay in recent years. Recruits on completion of training now start at €40,297 in Year 1, while school leaver Cadets upon commissioning earn €44,216, whilst in full time education. Further increases under the terms of the current pay Agreement 2024-2026 totalling 3% are due to be applied over the course of this year.

Figures provided for 2024 indicate a stabilisation in numbers. There were 708 personnel inducted in 2024, the highest in over five years. In 2024 there were 674 discharges, 81 fewer than the previous year and the lowest since 2020. The Defence Forces have further advised that they are targeting 800 inductions this year

To facilitate this, Budget 2025 provided a record allocation of €1.35 billion for the Defence Sector which includes an allocation providing for the recruitment of at least a net additional 400 personnel per annum.

Interest in a career in the Defence Forces grew significantly in 2024 as evidenced by the total of 13,348 applications received across all competitions. This is an increase of approximately 33% on the total number received in 2023.

Whilst there are still undoubtedly challenges, significant progress has been made on a number of fronts and the allocation of record levels of expenditure to the Defence sector is illustrative of my intent in this regard.

Table showing the Strength of the Permanent Defence Force from 2020 to 2024

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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21. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence for an update on the progress of the Defence Forces tribunal; the details of the resources allocated to the tribunal; the number of support and administrative staff appointed to the tribunal; the details of the legal supports, if any, provided to people making submissions to the tribunal; the cost to date of the tribunal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6077/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Defence Forces Tribunal of Inquiry was established to examine the effectiveness of the complaints processes in the Defence Forces concerning workplace issues relating to discrimination, bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct.

The Tribunal also has the power to investigate the response to complaints made regarding the use of hazardous chemicals within Air Corps’ headquarters at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel.

On 27 January 2025, the Tribunal issued an Order for Discovery to the Minister for Defence requesting seven categories of documents which come within the Terms of Reference for the Tribunal. The Order requires a discovery of documents on or before 16 June 2025. The process of submitting records to the Tribunal by my Department has already commenced and will continue on a rolling basis for the duration of the Order for Discovery.

The Tribunal issued an Order for Discovery on 28 January 2025, to the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces requiring the Discovery of documents on or before 2 July 2025.

Ms Justice Ann Power is the Sole Member of the Tribunal. The Tribunal is currently supported by a legal team comprising three Senior Counsel, three Junior Counsel and a State Solicitor. Details of the Tribunal's legal team are provided on its website (www.toidf.ie). The Tribunal is also supported by an administrative team which comprises a Registrar and two administration staff.

The Tribunal is independent and decisions on the granting of legal representation are entirely a matter for the Tribunal. The application process for representation and the issue of applications for costs are set out in the Procedures of the Tribunal which can be found on the Tribunal's website.

An allocation of €6m has been provided in the Defence Vote as part of the agreed Estimates for 2025, to support the implementation of the Independent Review Group Report. It is anticipated that the majority of this provision will be expended on the Defence Forces Tribunal of Inquiry. I am advised that to the end of January 2025, the cost of the Tribunal to date amounts to just over €3.5 million.

A substantial amount of work has been undertaken in my Department and the Defence Forces in the past number of months in identifying records and documents relevant to the Tribunal. The process of submitting records to the Tribunal has already commenced and will continue on a rolling basis for the duration of the discovery orders.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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22. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence to outline the ways in which Ireland has cooperated and collaborated with NATO since it became a member of Partnership for Peace in 1999; to detail chronologically the escalating relationship between Ireland and NATO since that time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6079/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland joined the Partnership for Peace Programme with NATO in 1999. Over the course of the last 26 years of membership Ireland has benefited from this partnership and has also contributed to it, be it through contributing to UN mandated NATO led missions, Defence Capacity Building initiatives, hosting of training courses or through Trust Funds. It is a long standing partnership built on mutual trust and respect.

The framework for cooperation between Partners and NATO was previously conducted through the Individual Partnership Cooperation Programme (IPCP) and the Planning and Review Process (PARP), and Ireland participated in these frameworks since we joined PfP in 1999. These frameworks provided for cooperation on the traditional military-focused elements that concentrate on operational requirements, the requirement to be interoperable, and the bench-marking of military standards. These aid the Defence Forces in their engagement with NATO member state militaries when co-located in peace support operations overseas.

In an effort to streamline the IPCP and PARP into one document, the Individually Tailored Partnership Programme (ITPP) was developed with Partners in recent years, and Ireland agreed its ITPP with NATO in November 2023. Ireland’s ITPP covers the period 2024-2028, it is reflective of the changed security environment currently, and takes into consideration a whole of Government response to security and defence. The ITPP 2024-2028 allows for cooperation in efforts to tackle cyber and hybrid threats, in enhancing resilience, and on maritime security, as well as on work to address the impact of conflict on women and girls through the women, peace, and security agenda.

Since 1999, Ireland has also participated in the UN-Mandated NATO Led Mission in Kosovo – KFOR. Currently we have 13 Defence Forces personnel deployed to that mission. Since 2016 Ireland has also engaged with NATO on its Operational Capability Concept (OCC), which is an evaluation and feedback process that provides for external evaluation by trained evaluators of military capabilities in accordance with NATO standards.

Finally, and as the Deputy is aware, Ireland maintains a policy of military neutrality which is characterised by non-membership of military alliances and non-participation in common or mutual defence arrangements. The White Paper on Defence 2015, and the Defence Policy Review 2024, recognise however, that there is a requirement for Ireland to engage proactively internationally with partners including the UN, the EU, the OSCE and NATO under PfP. The relationship between Ireland and NATO under PfP is a positive one, it is Partner led and completely voluntary in nature.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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23. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the establishment figure of the Defence Forces; the current number within each service; and his targets for recruitment, by year, for 2025 to 2030. [5746/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The military authorities have advised that as of 31 December 2024, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) stood at 7,557 personnel consisting of 6,099 Army, 739 Air Corps and 719 Naval Service. The current agreed establishment strength of the PDF is 9,739.

I have outlined in response to an earlier PQ the range of significant measures undertaken to address recruitment and retention challenges in the Defence Forces - the maximum age of recruitment has been increased to 39 years for those roles that had a recruitment age below that, and to 50 years for Direct Entry Specialists; the mandatory retirement age has been increased to 62; private secondary healthcare has been extended to all PDF members; the Patrol Duty allowance payable to Naval Service personnel at sea has been doubled after ten days at sea in a calendar year and the Naval Service tax credit has been extended for a further five years.

I have also outlined the significant progress on pay in recent years. Recruits on completion of training now start at €40,297 in Year 1, while school leaver Cadets upon commissioning earn €44,216, whilst in full time education. Further increases totalling 3% are due to be paid during the year.

There have been some positive trends in 2024 in both recruitment and retention. As I have outlined, there were 708 inductions in 2024, the highest since 2017 while the number of discharges stood at 674, 81 fewer than the previous year and the lowest number in four years. This represents a significant improvement and is suggestive of a plateauing of the downward trend in numbers. The Defence Forces have further advised that they are targeting at least 800 inductions in 2025.

To facilitate this and other measures, Budget 2025 provided a record allocation of €1.35 billion for the Defence Sector which includes an allocation providing for the recruitment of at least a net additional 400 personnel per annum.

It should also be noted that interest in a career in the Defence Forces continues to rise as evidenced by the total of 13,348 applications received in 2024 across all competitions. This is an increase of approximately 33% on the total number received in 2023.

Meeting the target of 11,500 by 2028, as set out in the Commission on the Defence Forces Report, is without question going to be challenging by 2028. Whilst challenging, there has been significant progress across a range of fronts and the allocation of record levels of expenditure to the Defence sector is illustrative of my commitment in this regard.