Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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80. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence to provide an update regarding the progress made by his Department in progressing the Defence Amendment Act 2025. [49118/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 was approved by Government in March of this year.

The General Scheme was subsequently referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Defence and National Security for consideration under the Pre-Legislative Scrutiny process.

The purpose of this Bill is to:

(a) revise and consolidate the current legislation, including the provisions concerning the operation of the so-called 'Triple Lock' mechanism, relating to the despatch of members of the Defence Forces for service outside the State; and,

(b) give effect to recommendations pertaining to suspension and associated provisions contained within the report prepared by Mr Peter Ward, Senior Counsel, concerning the management of members of the Defence Forces charged, with or convicted of, serious criminal offences.

The pre-legislative scrutiny (PLS) of the Bill was completed at the end of July with the publication of the Joint Oireachtas Committee's Report. The PLS Report included a number of recommendations in respect of the content of the Bill, and also in respect of broader policy matters. I am taking the time now to fully consider the recommendations made by the Committee and I thank the Chair and the Committee for their constructive and positive engagement throughout the PLS process.

The drafting of the Bill is continuing in conjunction with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel and I expect to bring a Memo to Government seeking approval for the text of the Bill later in the year. I would anticipate that debate on the Bill would commence in the Houses of the Oireachtas shortly thereafter.