Noel McCarthy (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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31. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the measures his Department is taking to encourage recruitment to the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6084/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The military authorities advise that as of the 31 December 2024, the latest date for which the requested figures are available for, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,557 personnel.

The recruitment and retention challenges in the Defence Forces have been previously acknowledged. To address these, a range of measures have been implemented. These include an increase in recruitment age 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 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.

The Defence Forces have engaged a Marketing and Media partner to assist with recruitment advertising to ensure engagement with the recruitment demographic across social media and other media platforms. Specific advertising for specialist recruitment is placed in industry specific publications and websites. The Defence Forces continue to broadcast this message through regular visits to schools and Education and Training Boards, in addition to frequent attendance at recruitment and career fairs/events. Furthermore, transition year students can avail of placements within the Defence Forces to undertake various programmes, across a number of locations, demonstrating career opportunities.

Interest in a career in the Defence Forces increased robustly in 2024 with a total of 13,384 applications received across all competitions.

Budget 2025 provided a record allocation of €1.35 billion for the Defence Sector, an increase of €100 million. In relation to specific recruitment targets, this allocation provides for the recruitment of at least a net additional 400 personnel per annum.

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.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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32. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the plans in place for the residential units in the Curragh Camp; if he is aware that some of them are semi-derelict; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6067/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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A consultant was commissioned by the Defence Forces to assess the condition of the vacant housing in barracks and its suitability for conversion/refurbishment to provide for additional single living-in accommodation for Defence Force personnel. A report for comment has recently been furnished to my Department and is currently being reviewed by my officials. Once my officials and the Defence Forces have considered the contents, they will submit recommendations to me on the remediation programme to be undertaken.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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33. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will detail the most recent interaction there has been with the United Nations regarding the death of a person (details supplied); the work being done to expediate the response from the UN; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5943/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I believe the Deputy may be referring to the Dublin City Coroner’s request to access certain information in support of the inquest which has been opened into the death of Private Rooney on 14th December 2022 in Lebanon, whilst serving as part of the Irish contingent in UNIFIL, and in particular the two UN reports linked to the incident.

I consider it critical that full cooperation be given, by the State, to the Coroner in the conduct of the Inquest and to ensure transparency, in order to permit her to discharge her functions.

Notwithstanding the privileges and immunities which apply, a request for the release of certain documents to the family and for use in the Inquest, including two UN Reports has been made by the Coroner. Irish authorities via diplomatic channels on a number of occasions since June 2023, including via representations by the then-Tánaiste to the Secretary General of the United Nations during 2023 and 2024. The then-Tánaiste also took the opportunity to raise it directly with UN Under- Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean Pierre Lacroix, when they met during UN General Assembly High Level Week in September 2024.

An interim response to these representations and to the Coroner’s letter was received from the UN in November 2024 which set out the legal framework for sharing information and it indicated that the requests received were under consideration. The expectation is that a final response will issue from the UN via diplomatic channels to the Coroner when the UN finalises its considerations.

I can assure the Deputy there has been ongoing positive engagement with the UN Secretariat on the requests and related matters over the past two years, through our Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, in seeking a response to these representations and request.

On taking up my new role, as Tánaiste and Minister of Defence, I sent a letter to the UN Under -Secretary- General for Peace Operations early last week and I took the opportunity to raise the outstanding request in that correspondence. am hoping a further response may soon issue from the UN, via diplomatic channels.