Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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59. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence when the non-commissioned officer rank of lance corporal will be created for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service, as it was a key recommendation of the Commission on the Defence Forces and is seen as a way to enable personnel to progress earlier in their careers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30437/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The creation of a new enlisted rank of Lance-Corporal, in the Army and Air Corps, with consideration to be given as to whether there is a need for an equivalent rank in the Naval Service, was recommended by the Commission on the Defence Forces (CoDF recommendation #20, February 2022). As set out in the Detailed Implementation Plan for the Commission on the Defence Forces report, this recommendation has been identified as requiring further evaluation. I understand that the further evaluation is expected to be completed later this year.

There are currently very strong promotion opportunities in the Defence Forces across all ranks.

An illustration of the promotional advancements in 2024 is as follows: -

• There were a total of 552 promotions in the Permanent Defence Force, across all ranks.
• The total number of Enlisted Personnel promoted in 2024 stands at 364. (19 Females and 345 Male).
• The total number of Officers promoted in 2024 stands at 234. (24 Female - 210 Male)
• 19 Internal Permanent Defence Force promotion competitions took place across the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps.

In addition to promotion opportunities there is a wide range of development opportunities available to personnel. There are a number of Professional Development Courses available to both enlisted personnel and officers. These courses are designed to build specific competencies and, upon successful completion, may provide individuals with enhanced opportunities for promotion.

The Defence Forces actively encourages its members to pursue further education and development opportunities, offering support for academic advancement up to and including NFQ Level 10.

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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60. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence to set out the amount of funding allocated to Defence Forces infrastructure for the years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and to 31 May 2025, in tabular form; the number of projects completed, the number of projects under way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31221/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The information sought by the Deputy is as follows.

Funding Allocation

• 2021 – €37m
• 2022 – €45m
• 2023 – €55m
• 2024 – €56m
• 2025 – €62.5m

Projects Completed

Projects Under Way

Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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61. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the action he is taking to improve retention levels in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30833/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Since my appointment as Minister for Defence earlier this year, in addition to a programme of cultural transformation, which is well underway, my focus has been on stabilising the numbers of Defence Force personnel and facilitating the capacity for further increases.

The Deputy will appreciate that retention levels are not influenced by a single factor, but rather that there are multiple, interconnected factors, which are responsible for retaining people in an organisation. The Defence Forces, in common with many peer organisations, both nationally and internationally faces a challenging environment at present in the context of recruitment and retention. This includes the effects of a buoyant Irish economy close to full employment.

It is important to state, at the outset, that recruitment and retention efforts are aligned. In that regard, the Military Authorities have established a Joint Recruitment Office with the appointment of an Officer who leads a specific Retention Team.

A number of specific actions in the area of retention have already been delivered, including:

• Significant progress on pay;
• An increase in the mandatory retirement age to 62;
• The extension of private healthcare to all ranks in the Defence Forces;
• Provision of fitness, training and sports facilities across its installations;
• Progress on the 2023-2027 Defence Forces Infrastructure Development Plan (IDP) with the highest level of financial resources in the State’s history;
• The provision of excellent training and education opportunities;
• The updating and development of a number of work-life balance and family-friendly initiatives are also being pursued.

This week Government agreed to my proposal to extend the existing service commitment scheme for Air Corps pilots to air traffic control (ATC) personnel

I would like to ensure the Deputy that attracting and retaining talented individuals and encouraging them to stay and serve in Defence Forces Personnel is a priority for me.