Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)
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232. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the likely cost to the exchequer of the full implementation of welfare provisions in the working time directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47502/25]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)
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233. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence whether it is his intention to require the Defence Forces to pay for welfare provisions from existing resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47503/25]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)
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234. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence whether it is the intention to pay for the implementation of welfare provisions from pay deductions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47504/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 232, 233 and 234 together.

The blanket exemption from the Organisation of Working Time Act for Defence Force's personnel was removed in January this year. The protections of the Organisation of Working Time Act are now available to the majority of Defence Force's personnel. There are a number of exemptions from the provisions of Act for personnel engaged in activities which were exempted due to their specific nature.

As part of the agreed implementation of the Working Time Directive, a number of existing and additional health and safety protections, other than compensatory rest periods, were agreed for those activities deemed outside the scope of the Act.

These include welfare supports already being funded and clarification with regard to funding of other measures. Specifically in regard to recreation and welfare facilities deemed necessary and approved by military authorities, where personnel are on duty for an out of scope activity or are on-call in barracks with respect to such activity, it states that these will be funded from central funds. This is in addition to gym and training equipment approved by Military Authorities which it also states will be acquired from central funds.

Another significant measure includes funding a home reunion flight to Ireland for personnel on a 6 month deployment, in circumstances where it is determined by the military authorities that annual leave cannot be taken in the mission area due to the security environment assessment.

Implementation of Organisation of Working Time Act provisions is ongoing, and any funding requests from the military authorities beyond existing resources, for approved measures, will be sought in line with normal estimates process.