Helen McEntee
Meath East · Fine Gael · Ireland
“There are no new missions, so there is only so much we can partake in. In regard to UN requests over the past ten years, in September 2019, we had 14 Defence Forces personnel deployed to a UN mission in Mali as part of a joint operation with the German armed forces.”
“I thank the Deputy for his continued engagement on this matter. It is appreciated and I reaffirm our shared commitment to truth and justice, not least for Private Rooney, but in particular for his family.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I know he is committed to this issue; I am too. I have in recent months spent some time travelling to different barracks and Army bases and meeting with personnel. What I see all over the country is their professionalism, dedication and commitment.”
“I disagree that people are being pushed into the courts. The situation is exactly the opposite. I have said in the Chamber many times since I started taking these questions that the State Claims Agency is there and wants to mediate and work directly with people in order that cases do not go directly to the courts.”
“We are all committed to strengthening recruitment to and supporting retention in the Permanent Defence Force. The military authorities have advised that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,823 personnel on 31 May, the most recent date for which we have a figure available.”
“It is the case that no mission is the same, so it is also a matter for the Defence Forces to assess and scope out the mission and then to decide whether it is a mission we can partake in. A question keeps being asked about what it is we would not be able to be a part of if we were to keep the triple lock.”
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“When fully delivered, the recognised air picture will incorporate this suite of military radar systems, which will have the capability to detect all aircraft traversing our airspace. We need that full maritime and overall domain picture. Full delivery of the programme will be complex. Roll-out will commence this year and has been prioritised, with a target delivery date of 2028. I want it rolled out as soon as possible. Elements will be rolled out in phases, including the delivery of counter-drone technology in the second quarter of this year. I assure colleagues that we will have that technology in place for our EU Presidency to support and enhance the work An Garda Síochána will be doing as the main security provider for the Presidency.”
“Last year, about 16,500 people applied and we have seen that reflected in the increase not just in our Naval Service and Army, but also in the Air Corps. My priority is to sustain this increase in recruitment, strengthen retention and support long-term career development for all the men and women of our Defence Forces. A key part of my priority to enhance the capabilities of the Defence Forces is the military radar programme and good progress is being made. As an island nation, we must be ambitious in our air defence capabilities when it comes to our maritime security. The programme for radar will include three elements: land-based long-range primary radar; ground-based air defence systems, to include a counter-unmanned aerial system, or counter-drone, capability; and maritime, ship-borne radar.”
“With that there needs to be a particular emphasis on ensuring that women have an opportunity to progress through the various ranks, and that there are promotional opportunities that perhaps do not seem to be available at the moment. When we outline the new civilianisation and workforce plan strategy, there will be a particular emphasis on increasing what is quite a low base at the moment of 7.5% female participation. Recruitment and retention initiatives are a driving force of the success of all transformation efforts. Improvements in recruitment policies and processes are beginning to bear fruit, with personnel numbers starting to grow again and interest in a career in the Defence Forces strengthening year on year.”
“From a culture perspective, there is a huge amount of work being done, particularly driven by the external oversight body, chaired by Patricia King, focusing on how we can embed changes that are absolutely necessary. I again acknowledge the role Women of Honour have played in bringing about this necessary reform. I am committed to working with them and also the Defence Forces to ensure this is embedded. We are putting in place a number of crucial HR initiatives, which will bolster the progress that has already been made in this area. Particular emphasis will be placed on enhanced career and talent management policies and practices, as well as revised access to promotional opportunities, a civilisation strategy and a workforce plan.”
“Progressing an ambitious policy agenda includes the implementation of the maritime security strategy and initiating a further defence policy review. I thank colleagues for attending this morning's launch of our first ever national maritime security strategy. I take this opportunity to address a number of key priorities. As Minister for Defence, one of my driving forces is to deliver meaningful cultural change in the Defence Forces. Transformative change involves structures, culture, capability and people management. To achieve this, it is necessary to institute reforms spanning primary legislation, capability development, HR and culture.”
“I will continue to drive the implementation of reform and transformation in our Defence Forces, particularly with respect to cultural change. A huge amount of work has been, and is being, done but we need to ensure that is embedded and that we see real and meaningful cultural change within the Defence Forces. I will support Defence Forces personnel, who again are the men and women who make all of this happen. I want to ensure that investment translates into real capability with a particular focus on the greater use of new technologies. We all know there is now a greater need than ever, given the changing threats we are facing and currently experiencing, to invest in new technology and innovative ways to respond and defend ourselves.”
“l recently announced the publication of the strategic framework 2026 and the updated detailed implementation plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, which reflect my key priorities for Defence. They essentially bring together the very many strategies and the various bodies of work that have been under way and that we want to ensure continue. To realise this ambition my key priorities as Minister include advancing an ambitious legislative programme, including a Bill to remove the existing requirement regarding the triple lock and a further Bill aimed at strengthening governance arrangements and supporting workforce reform through amending high-level structures within the Defence Forces.”
“In the period 2022 to 2026, the funding allocation for defence increased by €338 million or 40% from €836 million in 2022 to €1.17 billion in 2026. These funding increases have been delivered across the pay, current non-pay and capital spending categories. Since 2022, the capital funding allocation has increased by €159 million to €300 million, the current non-pay funding allocation has increased by 84% to almost €277 million in 2026 and the current pay funding allocation has increased by €10% to almost €598 million. However, as Senators know, it is not just about funding, though that is extremely important. It is essential that we continue to reform the structures and culture of the Defence Forces and invest its members - the men and women of Oghlaigh na hÉireann.”
“The Government and I are fully committed to strengthening lreland’s defence by increasing investment with a view to achieving a significantly enhanced capability by 2028 and thereafter moving as quickly as possible to develop defence capabilities that match those of other small western European countries. Nobody doubts the Defence Forces need greater investment. We all agree on that. This is precisely why Government is investing record funding, with €1.7 billion from the national development plan between now and 2030. This is a 55% increase on our previous capital plan. We will continue to increase our investment in the Defence Forces, but I am taking this opportunity to highlight what we are doing in that regard.”
“In the past few weeks, I participated in a meeting of EU defence ministers and I attended the Munich Security Conference. It is very clear from my engagement with my EU and international colleagues that we all share the same concerns about the complex security environment in Europe, not least because of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, which we acknowledged started four years ago yesterday. Importantly, we also share the ambition for Europe as a whole to step up its investment in defence and security. Ireland will not be found wanting in that regard. Both these engagements reaffirmed my belief that Ireland needs to be ambitious in delivering the necessary capability, infrastructure and personnel to meet the security challenges, not just today but in future.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach and Seanad colleagues for this opportunity to update them on my priorities as Minister for Defence and to listen to their views. This builds on the discussion we had only in the past two weeks. We need to have an honest debate in this country about defence and security and particularly about the role that Óglaigh na hÉireann will play in that regard. That debate can, and indeed should, take place in various forums, but it is essential the Houses of the Oireachtas debates issues around the security and defence of the State, so I welcome us having this discussion today. As Minister for Defence, I am determined to drive forward an ambitious agenda to continue the transformation of the Defence Forces into a modern, fit-for-purpose organisation capable of defending the State and its people.”
“We must all take this opportunity to restate our absolute commitment as legislators and public representatives working together to make sure that these kinds of abuse do not happen again and that no young person or family will ever be subjected to the kinds of abuse we know were inflicted on so many young people through no fault of their own. Again, I welcome the Taoiseach's apology and the Tánaiste's apology here today and join with colleagues in thanking in particular Mary, Mary, Miriam and Morris for what they have done and what they have achieved on their own behalf but also on behalf of so many others.”
“I met all four in my previous role as Minister for education. I thank them for the time they afforded me in our engagement and during our time. I am conscious that I am not the first person they had to relay their story to. I am also conscious of the horrors that were inflicted on them, their siblings and their family members, and the intergenerational trauma that has been inflicted on them and their communities. We are here only through their bravery and determination to ensure not just that the wrong that was inflicted on them is recognised here today but that the wrong that was inflicted on so many others is also recognised here today.”
“Today, we refer to the criminal records and make it clear that no person has a criminal record by virtue of having been in an industrial school. I know this is an important element of the apology today. We make reference to the important initiatives that have taken place in recent decades, including the work of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, improvements to child protection and the provision of redress and other supports. It is important to recommit to and acknowledge the new and necessary ongoing supports that will be delivered to survivors. I acknowledge four people who have brought us to this point and made today happen. They are Mary Donovan, Mary Dunlevy Greene, Miriam Moriarty Owens and Maurice Patton O'Connell. I know they represent many other survivors of institutional abuse and our industrial schools.”
“Like my colleagues, I am pleased to have the time to contribute to this State apology. I acknowledge the words of the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and many of my colleagues in apologising for the great harm that was done to so many young people and families over a prolonged period of time at the hands of the State. The Taoiseach's apology today rightly built on the 1999 apology on behalf of the State and its citizens to all survivors of childhood abuse, taking into consideration the 2021 apology to survivors and former residents of the mother and baby institutions. Today in particular, we reference and relate to those who were boarded out from the various institutions, many of whom were children who suffered unimaginable abuse at the hands of those who were meant to protect and support them.”
“I and the Department will continue to engage in with the project in supporting it and helping it to deliver this essential and, as Senator Craughwell said, life-saving support on the ground.”
“I acknowledge the excellent work being done through the project. It is a perfect example of how quite literally civilians and citizens in Ireland have come together to provide support. We know there is a huge amount happening beyond this as well. There are over 100,000 Ukrainian citizens living in Ireland. They are in our communities, towns and villages. While we might be geographically the furthest from Ukraine and from where the war is happening, for all of us our hearts are very much connected to what is happening on the ground. This is why we see these types of responses and why we see those with such experience who want to give back and provide the support and help. From my perspective as Minister in the Department, where I can provide financial assistance to allow this to continue, it is something I absolutely want to do.”
“Senator Craughwell will appreciate, and I know both gentleman in the Gallery will appreciate, that when we are providing this level of assistance, particularly directing it through our office of development, we have to ensure that all projects go through in-depth analysis and that we go through the engagement that is part of the process to make sure the money goes exactly where it is needed. I assure Senator Craughwell that we will engage closely with the UCD Ukraine trauma project along with our partners on its work and make sure we can continue this essential work.”
“The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that 10.8 million people will require humanitarian assistance. The work of this project, and the need for it, is absolutely essential. The most recent updated joint rapid damage and needs assessment estimates that at the end of 2025, the total cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine was almost $588 billion. However we can help, be it through humanitarian assistance, direct funding for critical infrastructure, the funding we have been providing for defence spending or the funding we need to provide for these types of projects, we will continue to provide this support and help.”
“As Senator Craughwell referenced, President Zelenskyy and the First Lady, Olena Zelenska, honoured the project's success with a Golden Heart award during their visit to Ireland last December. I take this opportunity again to congratulate the project on the work being done, with more than 650 people trained and nine missions. I am sure there will be many more missions to come for as long as they are needed. There have also been 1,700 advanced kits. All of this work is literally saving lives. At my direction recently, officials at the Departments of education and Foreign Affairs and Trade have been engaging directly with the UCD Ukraine trauma project to discuss the work planned for 2026. We have been trying to examine how best we can help Ukraine as it continues to experience tremendous levels of need.”
“It chooses not to; it chooses the path it has taken. This means more and more civilians are suffering. In bringing this topic to the Seanad today, the Senator has highlighted and given me an opportunity to highlight not just the response from a Government perspective but also, thankfully, the huge amount of work our own citizens are doing. So much of it is unseen and unheard. I am pleased to say this is not the first time I am hearing of this project. I commend the absolutely invaluable work that is being done by Professor Fitzpatrick and Professor Bury and all those involved in the UCD Ukraine trauma project. The valuable work of training pre-hospital civilian and military first responders is a further manifestation of the solidarity I have spoken about. The project is quite literally saving lives.”
“I have also conveyed the need for the EU as a whole to remain absolutely steadfast in our support for Ukraine and the pressure that needs to continue to be placed on Russia. I acknowledge and welcome the ongoing efforts to end Russia's war of aggression, including the efforts made by the US, the EU and many others to achieve a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. We will do this as an EU member state and through our participation in the coalition of the willing, which the Taoiseach participated in this morning. Russia's response to peace efforts to date has been to continue its missile attacks, to intensify the number of soldiers it is quite literally sending to the slaughter and to attack civilian infrastructure and towns, resulting in casualties and increased suffering. Russia can stop this at any time.”
“Millions of people have now been left without heat and power in freezing winter weather, in temperatures of -24°C and -25°C. We can all see that the Ukrainian people and their spirit have not been broken, and neither has our commitment to support them. Only yesterday, I spoke with the Foreign Minister, Mr. Andrii Sybiha. Last week, I had an opportunity to meet and speak with the Defence Minister, Mr. Mykhailo Fedorov. At the Munich Security Conference recently, I met soldiers who were on the front line and who had taken time to come to relay exactly what is happening to them. At every step of the way, I have relayed Ireland's continued and absolute support for Ukraine and reaffirmed that we will support the country for as long as necessary. I know the Irish people also support this.”
“I thank Senator Craughwell for raising this topic. I also acknowledge Professor Fitzpatrick and Professor Bury in the Gallery As the Senator said, he is raising this topic on a particularly sombre day. I think we are all finding it hard to imagine it is four years since the first day of Russia's brutal, illegal and barbaric war, one it has been waging and is increasing in scale and volume. Since February 2022, in addition to military attacks, Russia has targeted Ukrainian energy, transport facilities, hospitals and schools, all with the intention of trying to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people and, indeed, trying to break the spirit of the EU as a whole and European citizens. We have seen hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians killed, along with Russia's own soldiers that it is sending to the slaughter.”
“Like the Deputy, I will not get into specific details. I do not think it would be appropriate. I want to ensure we have legislation that ensures every member of the Defence Forces and their families are treated equally when it comes to pensions, particularly where a tragic incident has occurred. It is something I am engaging on and open to engaging on but I will not get into the specifics.”
“I am happy to keep the Deputy updated on matters, first and foremost to keep the family updated and working closely with the Defence Forces. I am happy to update the Deputy on this and on any other matters relating to pensions.”
“I appreciate how difficult this is for Private Rooney's family and for the other families as we are going through these different stages. It is my intention, as it is the Deputy's and everybody else's here, to get the answers we need as soon as possible so that we hopefully find ourselves in a situation where this does not happen again to any of our troops.”
“It is very difficult for family members when this has been going on for longer than any of us would like. I would like to be able to give the Deputy a fuller update on the floor this evening, but unfortunately there are a number of different processes under way at home as well as our engagement with the Lebanese forces and the Government there and with the UN, as the Deputy mentioned. Whenever an incident occurs, particularly one of this magnitude, it is essential that the UN engage with us so that we can work with it on making sure that there is a very clear and firm response and that where changes or adaptations need to be made to any mission to make sure that troops are kept safe, that is the case as well. There are a number of different strands under way at the moment.”
“More broadly, it raises the case of how we ensure that our Defence Forces personnel are supported and protected when they are on peacekeeping missions or otherwise out doing their duty. We need to make sure this is the case, whether they are serving on peacekeeping missions or whether they are at home carrying out their duties more broadly. We will continue to engage with the Lebanese Government. We will continue to engage insofar as we possibly can on the ground to identify what has happened here to make sure that Private Rooney's family find the truth and get the justice they deserve.”
“I want to acknowledge Private Seán Rooney and the ultimate sacrifice he paid in his duty and service in the Lebanon and, of course, those who were with him on the day and who also suffered after what happened in the attack. I am absolutely committed to following on from the commitment of my predecessors, and everyone in this Chamber, in ensuring that we uncover the truth and get justice for Private Rooney, in particular for his family. I had an opportunity recently to meet the foreign affairs minister from Lebanon on a trip to Brussels. This is a case that I raised specifically with him and I asked for their continued support and engagement in trying to uncover the truth. In any engagement subsequent that I will have with my Lebanese counterparts, this will be raised.”
“While I fully accept the ECSR outcome, what I want to do now is look at the structures that are in place, the way in which members are paid for the additional or irregular hours, such as the bank holidays and the various different times, and how all of that aligns with the overall ruling of the committee in the last few weeks. I am committed to making sure that we are compliant. Obviously, we would work with the representative associations that are supporting their members and that brought forward that particular case.”
“I answered a question on this earlier, specifically around the committee, its recommendations and the working times. Where members work additional or irregular hours, they are compensated through allowances and structured systems of compensatory rest. This is an element that addresses the time issue. In addition, the pensionable military service allowance, which is designed to compensate for the special disadvantages associated with military life, including the long and unsociable hours, is paid to all ranks up to the level of colonel. That military service allowance is also a pensionable allowance.”
“Finally, there are medical service reviews. These will see the development of an action plan to implement the recommendations arising from the review of medical services provided in the Defence Forces and commencing the implementation of that. These are just a number of the actions specifically in the strategic plan that are focused on how we can support and make better changes to enhance the working environment for our Defence Forces members.”
“Flexible work practices are going to be looked at, in that the Defence Forces are tasked with making organisational changes to allow more flexible service and flexible work arrangements, with a pilot programme implemented in the coming months. Family-friendly policies are also being looked at, with extensions and enhancement of existing family-friendly policies to the greatest extent practicable. For example, we will consider the matter of overseas postings in recognition of the challenges faced by members where there may be caring responsibilities, including single parents or parents of children with disabilities, among others. There are gender perspective policies and actions. This involves the removal of gendered rules, regulations and standards that are unfavourable to women and others who do not fit the perceived norm.”
“This is the largest ever survey carried out with Defence Forces members and with the largest response ever. This looked at challenges members face, issues they feel impact on their ability to conduct their duties, reasons they would stay, what would encourage them to go and all these different types of questions. It is important we engage in these surveys to see what underlying issues there might be. Annual climate and continuous attitude surveys like this look at morale, the command climate and underlying cultures, and they will be continued to be carried out. I think that every year we need to look at what more we need to ask and how we can respond to those kinds of question. The content and the proposed timeline for the surveys are to be submitted to the external oversight body.”
“The strategic framework, which I published on 10 February, highlights my Department's plans over the next 12 months to further improve working conditions within the Defence Forces. This is a commitment I will continue to champion, as will the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, for defence and the Defence Forces. The key actions and outcomes to be delivered specifically include, first, career and talent processes and promotion systems. It is very important we see more of that and more opportunities for members. There will be policies to transform career and talent processes and promotion systems, developed by the Defence Forces, which will be submitted to me as Minister for approval, along with plans for implementation. There will be a new process of culture surveys, of which we have already had the first with the Value Our People survey.”
“As the Deputy said, it was a very positive day not just for those members but also for their family members and for the whole barracks, because this was something that was celebrated more widely.”
“The Deputy has given me an opportunity to again acknowledge Fr. Paul Murphy and his four colleagues who came to his aid so bravely and unarmed when responding to what was a vicious and violent attack. Last week, I had the honour, with the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces,of presenting them with the distinguished service medals. This is something that is not given out to everybody. This recognised their bravery, but more broadly, the way in which members of our Defence Forces go about their work and put themselves at risk and in danger in the protection of our State and in the protection of those they serve, which is each and every one of us. It is important to have these ceremonies to recognise when Defence Force members carry out these acts of bravery but also to recognise those who support them.”
“As I said, for female participation, there will be targeted campaigns and a particular focus on how we can encourage more women into the Defence Forces, but also how we can make sure they are reflective of the entire community we now live in and the new communities who have come to Ireland. We need to see in our Defence Forces what we see in our own communities. Several actions have already been taken in terms of the increase in recruitment and with the retirement age. The anecdotal evidence is we are starting to see that having an impact and helping when it comes to recruitment and retention, but anything that has changed recently will take time to see the overall impact of those retirement age changes.”
“There are several things happening that we need to see continue to encourage more and enhance greater uptake when it comes to those who wish to join the Defence Forces. I have said the numbers wishing to join are pretty substantial, but it is about then translating them. My focus this year is making sure we have the accommodation we need for training and that we have enough personnel for those in our Defence Forces carrying out the training. There were changes made recently to provide allowances in that regard. It is important that those changes were made, but where more needs to be done, that is my focus this year in supporting the Defence Forces. I acknowledge there is an ambition there within the Defence Forces to reach these targets and to go beyond that, because we all want to be ambitious in this regard.”
“I am committed to working with them in making sure people know when they come into the Defence Forces that these issues are being addressed, are being taken seriously and that every person knows they have a place and will be respected when they come to work every day.”
“This will identify the different roles and approach to significantly increasing the scale and numbers of civilians working within our Defence Forces to support our Defence Forces personnel carrying out military tasks. It is very important, when we talk about increasing our numbers, that we focus on the fact we have quite a low percentage of female members in our Defence Forces. There will be specific targeted campaigns to not just highlight this is a career and opportunity for women but also to show that when it comes to many of the challenging issues that have arisen in the recent past and are still ongoing, whether it is cultural issues or sexual assault that has taken place, we are responding decisively and are acting on this. There is cultural change taking place and being driven by a body chaired by Patricia King and many others.”
“It is very positive to see that interest in a career in the Defence Forces continues to grow, with a total of 16,510 applications received last year, which is quite a significant number. The challenge now for the Defence Forces is to convert those applications into inductions. The Defence Forces are currently formulating a strategic workforce plan to set out current personnel and skill sets, and to map out proposals to achieve that strength of 11,500 and to include a detailed civilian workforce plan, which is essential if we are going to reach those numbers proposed in the Commission on Defence Forces report by April 2026. One of the key actions I specified in the recently published strategic framework was the need for the Defence Forces to submit a civilisation strategy for my approval not later than July this year.”
“I thank the Deputy. Increasing recruitment and retention of personnel in the Defence Forces is a priority for me as Minister and for everybody here who has spoken this evening. As Government, we are committed to putting the resources in place to achieve level of ambition 2, and a crucial element of this is personnel expansion. A range of measures have already been undertaken to tackle recruitment and retention challenges in recent years. As a result, we have seen that stabilisation I mentioned and that modest increase last year of 200. I want to continue on that trajectory. I want to see the 7,756 personnel increase further, and I have set a target of 850 inductions for 2026. Obviously, that will mean making sure we also have the accommodation to be able to support those numbers.”
“I hope to meet with his mother very soon, but I am conscious of how difficult and distressing a situation it is. I have been clear in my raising this very recently that we need to find answers and that we need to find a resolution for his family. Of course, there were others who were involved in the incident itself. I want to acknowledge that and acknowledge the difficulty for their families too.”
“There is €10 million in support for Air Corps fleet maintenance, as well as airfield and training costs. That allows them to carry out their duties and work. There is funding for a number of other strategic priorities. Digital transformation, which is absolutely key and will be essential, is something that the Defence Force members themselves are keen to see advance in their work. There is maritime security, national societal preparedness and resilience campaign initiatives. All of this funding is supporting the work that they do. It is not only about investing in the physical infrastructure, which is really important, but ensuring that they are enabled to do the work that they need to do is essential as well. When it comes to Private Rooney, this is a case that I myself have raised directly with Lebanese officials.”
“I will try to touch on a number of issues raised. At present, our strength is 7,756 personnel. It is an increase of almost 200 on the previous year. While it is modest, we need to continue with that particular trajectory and I want to build on that progress achieved. I have set a target of 850 inductions for this year. It is important that when we are talking about investment, we are not only talking about investment in the capital side of things. There are other ways in which, through current spending, we are able to invest and support the work of the personnel who are there. We have €10 million to facilitate new Defence Forces uniforms, which is really important to make sure that we are supporting what they get up and get dressed into every day.”
“You then have aircraft hangers and naval berthage but I have seen in Gormanston, which is in my constituency, the investment that is taking place where members will be sleeping, eating, going to the gym, doing their day-to-day activities and their duties. There is a real commitment here to invest directly in the physical built environment and infrastructure. Of course, I want to be able to do more because we know that there are many more barracks that need to see that overall investment. As I said, the intention is that every barracks and every area will benefit from the significant increase. If more money can be found, obviously, more money can be invested as well.”
“I fully agree. If we want to not only attract people to the Defence Forces but to retain them, we need to make sure the environment that they are working and training in is fit for purpose and insofar as possible, that it is as modern as it can be. When you look at the next NDP and the capital plan for defence, we have €300 million being spent in 2026. In the next few years, it is rising to €360 million. When you break that down further and you look at how much we are investing in what we have just discussed, there will be €400 million of investment in infrastructure. This includes accommodation, offices and gyms.”
“This will replace the catering infrastructure currently used by Defence Forces military and civilian staff and includes a kitchen, front-of-house dining facilities and co-located ration storage. It is essential, particularly when so much of our infrastructure and so many of our barracks are old. They need that kind of investment. It is important that we are investing in the day-to-day workings, where they are eating or sleeping, and where they are doing their training, because it is an investment directly in the men and women of the Defence Forces.”