Simon Harris
Wicklow · Fine Gael · Ireland
“There are more than 10,000 routes and thousands of buses involved and the number of students using the services is not a million miles away from 200,000. The current terms of the scheme are going to continue to apply for the 2026-27 school year.”
“I thank Deputy McDonald for raising what is genuinely an important issue. I do take the point that when we talk about this in the abstract or from a process point of view in here, that for people watching this is their real lived experience.”
“There number of children who have been supported by means of the school transport scheme, as Deputy Fitzmaurice knows and has alluded to, has grown significantly in recent years. Since 2018, the number increased from 120,000 in 2018 to more than 181,000 now. Included in that figure are 24,000 pupils with special educational needs.”
“I knew the Deputy would have to mention the GAA, especially with Galway and Limerick playing at the weekend. I wish everybody involved the best of luck. We are very committed to the school transport scheme. If the Deputy wants to see our commitment, he should look to our budget.”
“An ageing population, increasing healthcare needs, the transition to net zero and the need for continued investment in housing, energy and infrastructure will place a significant demand on public resources.”
“There is also a legitimacy to the point the Deputy made about how it is a legitimate form of transport for some people. We see this working in other European countries. We see it in our nearest neighbours. I do not want to get the regime wrong, but I think they have registration at the point of purchase that allows people to track this.”
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“From the outset, Ireland has been clear that we would not accept a business-as-usual approach to relations between Israel and the EU. In my intervention at that meeting, I underlined that each of the EU’s bilateral relationships must be grounded in respect for international law and our fundamental principles. I expressed grave concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and underlined the EU’s call for full and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid and, of course, the release of remaining hostages. We have made clear that we will reject any attempt at demographic or territorial changes in the Gaza Strip and stressed the importance of unifying Gaza with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority. I was also pleased to attend the first ever EU-Palestine high level dialogue in Luxembourg in April.”
“This would reflect the grave concern held by citizens in Ireland and across the European Union regarding the ongoing horrific situation and actions of Israel and the blockade of humanitarian aid entering Gaza. It also demonstrates that a clear majority of member states have now agreed on the need to take concrete actions to pressure Israel to reverse course, halt its military action and lift the block on life-saving aid in Gaza. This is about using the tools set out in the association agreement, in conformity with our values, and conveying clear messages to Israel regarding the EU’s position. This was also the case in February, when Ireland welcomed the convening of the EU-Israel Association Council as an opportunity to deliver that same message.”
“We welcome this initiative from the Netherlands. As this House will recall, Ireland and Spain wrote to the President of the European Commission in February 2024 requesting this urgent review. In all my engagements at the Foreign Affairs Council, we have repeatedly called for the EU to take this step. At the time, our proposal did not enjoy the support of all EU partners. The fact there is now a clear majority of support shows a significant shift at European level. The EU review of the association agreement with Israel is a significant decision. As the Taoiseach rightly said, however, it should now be suspended pending the outcome of that review.”
“Two weeks ago, I issued a joint statement with my counterparts from Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia and Spain expressing concern about Israeli plans for further expansion of military actions in Gaza. We outlined our firm rejection of any demographic or territorial change in Gaza and called on Israel to show restraint and co-operate with the UN and other humanitarian organisations in the unhindered provision at scale of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance. On 6 May, the Dutch foreign minister wrote to the UN High Representative, Kaja Kallas, calling for a review of the EU-Israel association agreement in light of Israel’s blockade in Gaza and other developments on the ground. Ireland has consistently called for a meaningful interpretation of Israel’s human rights obligations under the agreement.”
“Ireland is taking a leading role in the work and evolution of the global alliance, including as part of the so-called Madrid group, which is a core group of European, Arab, and Islamic countries particularly concerned by the catastrophic situation in Gaza. The global momentum building around this work is visible in the upcoming high-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, which will be co-chaired, as the Taoiseach said, by France and Saudi Arabia at the UN in New York in June. Ireland will play an active role in the conference and we hope it will be a decisive moment for the international community. Ireland continually seeks to build alliances to address the horror of what is happening on the ground in Gaza.”
“It was about believing that the two-state solution is the only way forward for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side. Since then, Ireland has consistently raised our voice in pursuit of the two-state solution. In September 2024, we joined the global alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution during the UN General Assembly high-level week in New York. This is a key diplomatic platform for advancing meaningful progress towards peace in the Middle East and advancing the two-state solution. Even though established political thinking in Israel is absolutely hostile to this goal, international momentum is building.”
“The year 2024 was the deadliest on record for humanitarian workers, a surge driven by the war in Gaza, which has killed almost 300 UNRWA staff alone. The attack on 15 Red Crescent ambulance staff starkly illustrated the immense risks these humanitarians run every day in the course of their work. Ireland has been principled and consistent in our approach to this dire situation. We are using all the tools at our disposal, be they political, legal, diplomatic or humanitarian, in response to this dreadful conflict. Next week will mark one year since Ireland, in tandem with Norway and Spain, recognised the State of Palestine. The decision was about keeping the hope for a peaceful two-state solution alive and about the right of Palestinians to self-determination, self-governance and territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
“Along with many others, I strongly condemn a system that does not ensure that the entire population gets access to humanitarian aid. On Monday, with colleagues from 21 countries in the EU, I urgently called again for immediate and unhindered access to humanitarian aid and for the killing to stop. I concur with the words of the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, that Israel’s plan “makes starvation a bargaining chip”. This is another example of Israel's conduct that is clearly at odds with human rights and international law. It is repugnant. It is a further example of war crimes. Amid this darkness, I pay tribute to the humanitarians who continue to save lives every day and work in unspeakable conditions.”
“That meant no food, medicines, medical devices, clothing or sanitary products. While minimal supplies are now entering Gaza in the past 24 hours, this is a miniscule drop in the ocean. The entire population is facing high levels of food insecurity, with one in five - 500,000 people - facing starvation. Famine is a spectre no Irish person can endure. Only an immediate end to hostilities and a full, unimpeded resumption of humanitarian aid delivery can prevent a further descent into that grim reality for Gazans. The Israeli security cabinet has decided to take control of the distribution of humanitarian aid through private contractors. The UN has rightly described this as unacceptable and "designed to further control and restrict supplies”.”
“We call for urgent efforts to ensure an immediate ceasefire. Of course, we call for the release of all remaining hostages. The situation for Gazans today is worse than it has been at any point. In excess of 52,000 people have been killed. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has described Israel’s actions as “aimed at inflicting on Palestinians conditions of life increasingly incompatible with their continued existence in Gaza as a group.”. A fragile and imperfect ceasefire at the start of the year, which provided a brief glimmer of hope to Israelis and Palestinians alike, has been replaced by the resumption of further Israeli actions that have brought fresh suffering to the people of Gaza. Israel unilaterally imposed a total blockage on all aid and commercial supplies for almost 80 days.”
“We have used every lever at Ireland’s disposal and we will continue to do so, both through building on the progress achieved yesterday with the achievement of majority support for a review of the EU-Israel association agreement and through our own legislation to prohibit imports from illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, which we will now bring forward. While I will speak in more detail on these actions later, I can inform the House today that work on this legislation is well progressed within my Department. It is my intention to bring a memorandum to Government on this next week. We call on Israel to fully lift its blockade and allow for unimpeded access of humanitarian aid at scale into Gaza. We must see further sanctions if Israel does not end this military offensive.”
“A total of 58 hostages still remain in Gaza, whose families are enduring continuing anguish. The Irish people, and most of the world, are asking what it will take for the world to do more and act. This is a moment for clarity. Therefore, let me clearly restate Ireland’s position. We unequivocally condemn the terror attacks by Hamas in Israel on 7 October 2023. We unequivocally condemn the taking of hostages by Hamas and have repeatedly called for their release. We do so again today. Hamas has brought nothing but death and destruction to the people of the region. It offers no positive future. We strongly condemn the continuing Israeli military operations in Gaza and are alarmed at reports that Israel plans to extend further this violence and killing.”
“A failure by the international community to respond to this moment is also a rebuke to multilateralism, international law and the universal applicability of human rights, both at home and across the world. The convictions and values we hold dear have emerged from our own history of conflict and peacebuilding on this island. We also have long-standing engagement in the Middle East region through our diplomatic missions and the presence of peacekeepers in Lebanon. The images we have been witnessing in Gaza for the past 600 days are an affront to these convictions and an absolute indictment of a collective failure to end it. More than 18 months of bombardment has caused total destruction that can be difficult to comprehend, now compounded by the almost 80 days of an Israeli blockade of vital and life-saving humanitarian aid.”
“Carrying the potential to assist thousands of people, these trucks today remain in a warehouse in Jordan while people starve. They are among 44,000 aid trucks that have been denied entry since March, while there are no functioning public hospitals and thousands upon thousands of people have been displaced. Faced with the unconscionable plight of the people of Gaza, any words or actions that cannot immediately bring this suffering to an end seem, and are, inadequate. What is happening goes against our very humanity. It goes against the strongly held values of the people of Ireland. It goes against the desire for peace, stability and security.”
“We gather for these statements today with warnings ringing in our ears that thousands of children are at risk of death in the coming days. According to UNICEF, more than 15,000 children in Gaza have been killed, more than 34,000 injured and nearly 1 million displaced. Gaza has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world and 17,000 children are unaccompanied or separated from their parents. Beyond this vast physical harm, the psychological trauma inflicted will take generations to heal. No child will emerge from the horrors of bombardment without the imprint of trauma. We are witnessing enforced starvation afflicting the most vulnerable while humanitarian aid remains blocked by Israeli forces. Three months ago, four Irish Aid trucks arrived in Jordan just as the Israeli blockade began.”
“I know many of the personnel have served with distinction. They were beginning to think about coming home as well and looking forward to reuniting with family. I was honoured to be in Renmore Barracks for the review of our troops before the 126th Battalion heads off in the coming days. I take the opportunity again to thank everyone who has served with the UNIFIL mission. I thank all the men and women of Óglaigh na hÉireann, including the Deputy, for their service. We should be very proud as a country of the great contribution our peacekeepers have made around the world and particularly in Lebanon.”
“I conveyed to both Ministers our strong sense of frustration and I also formally handed over a letter to the Lebanese Minister for foreign affairs further underlining the importance of seeing urgent and concrete progress on this issue. While I was in Lebanon, I was delighted and honoured to see the men and women serving there, to see how they serve with absolute distinction, to see Camp Shamrock and to see a contingent that has spent so much of their time over there in bunkers. At that stage they had been there for approximately five months and the equivalent of one month had been spent in bunkers, just to give a sense of the volatility of the region. I was very pleased to see when I was there, though, that those serving there were back out on patrols and that the situation, while it can always change, was a little bit more stable.”
“I made it clear the lack of progress is causing enormous distress, particularly for the family of Private Rooney. We are mindful of the independence of Lebanon's judicial system but I reiterated that it is essential to see real movement and real accountability given the delays in the trial to date. I also noted the postponement of the most recent hearing of the trial on 12 February, with the next one not scheduled until 17 September. The Lebanese Ministers acknowledged the seriousness of the case and assured me of the commitment of the new Lebanese Government in bringing the perpetrators to justice. They also took the opportunity to express their condolences to the family of Private Rooney and to Ireland and their appreciation for Ireland's long-standing commitment to peacekeeping through UNIFIL.”
“I thank the Deputy for her own service and the unique insight she brings to debates in this House having served in Lebanon with our Defence Forces. I very much welcome the opportunity to update the House on my recent visit to Lebanon. A central focus of that visit on 26 March was on my meetings with the Lebanese Ministers for foreign affairs and defence. At those meetings, my first with both individuals, I left the Ministers in no doubt with regard to the absolute determination of the Government to ensure those responsible for Private Rooney’s death are brought to justice. During my meetings with both Ministers, I raised in the strongest terms our deep frustration at the slow pace of proceedings before the Lebanese military tribunal concerning those charged with Private Rooney's killing.”
“We continue to apply absolute pressure and clarity of thought to the fact that Private Rooney deserves justice and that those responsible for his death must be brought to justice. During my meetings in my recent visit to Lebanon I raised in the strongest possible terms our deep frustration at the slow pace of proceedings before the Lebanese military tribunal concerning those charged with Private Rooney's killing. I made clear the lack of progress is causing enormous distress, particularly to the family of Private Rooney. We remain in close contact with the Lebanese authorities and his family.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 167, 182 and 203 together. Let me first, as we always do when we speak about this, extend our deepest sympathies to the family of the late Private Seán Rooney and thank him for his service. None of us can fathom the unimaginable pain and grief of his family. I want them to know that we think of them and are motivated every day by getting them truth and justice in relation to what happened to Private Rooney. On the UN question specifically, on 6 August last year the coroner wrote to the UN requesting access to two reports on investigations that were carried out by the UN on 14 December 2022. The coroner has requested in her correspondence that the UN become an interested party for the purpose of the inquest, and my understanding is that the UN responded to the coroner's question in early March.”
“His question has provoked a thought in my mind. I will ask - I would be happy to share with him the response - if there are three or four big issues and if there is anything we can glean further from that. I have asked the Chief of Staff and the Defence Forces to prepare for when I bring the updated implementation plan on the Commission on the Defence Forces to the Cabinet later this year, the roadmap as to how to get to the establishment figure we require for LOA 2. I think this year the test will be whether we can get to the 800 inductions.”
“I am always conscious when speaking to this that people who are not friends of Ireland look in on these proceedings, so as regards national cybersecurity, let all of those who look in be aware that we have cybersecurity structures in place. We have an excellent National Cyber Security Centre. As Deputy Heneghan reminded us earlier, however, there is so much we need to do in this space. The Government will consider, through its national security strategy, the overall infrastructure and ecosystem, as I think Deputy Ó Murchú's colleague referred to it earlier. That is due later this year. I do not have - I certainly do not have in front of me - an overall breakdown of the rationale or reasons behind people's discharges. What I can tell the Deputy from the paperwork on this that comes across my desk is that the reasons tend to be varied.”
“I am pleased to say this trend has continued this year with over 4,000 applications received by the end of March. We have increased the maximum recruitment age to 39. We have increased the mandatory retirement age to 62. We have extended private secondary healthcare to all Permanent Defence Force members. In addition, we have seen the patrol duty allowance payable to the Naval Service personnel at sea doubled, the Naval Service tax credit extended for a further five years and, very importantly, the provisions of the working time directive extended to the Defence Forces, subject to some exemptions but for the first time ever. There is a lot of work to do, but those are the plans for the time ahead and the progress we believe we have made to date.”
“We are putting the facilities in there, including gyms, multipurpose halls and purpose-built obstacle course. They are state-of-the-art training facilities. It is an example of our commitment to supporting people who join the Defence Forces. We now have the largest Defence Forces budget ever. We have seen a very significant improvement in pay. The pay of recruits on completion of training now starts at €41,465 in year one. School leaver cadets upon commissioning earn €45,341 while in full-time education, and graduate cadets commence on €50,667, inclusive of military service allowance. It should be noted that interest in a career in the Defence Forces grew significantly in the last year. We had 13,384 applications, an increase of a third on the previous year.”
“Therefore, last year saw the highest number inducted in over five years and the lowest number of discharges in over four years. We have to build on that. There are encouraging signs that this year will build on it, but let us keep the focus on that. I think some of this has happened because of some of the decisions we have taken and are taking and some of the work the Defence Forces have done. The points the Deputy's colleague Deputy O'Rourke just put to me are a part of it. Having that new joint induction training centre established in Gormanston was important. That will have really good facilities to train up to 900 recruits each year. As I said, the centre recently saw its largest recruit class to date, with 72 people go in the doors.”
“As of 9 April of this year, as I said earlier today, we have seen 7,545 whole-time equivalent personnel in the Defence Forces. That is 6,074 in our Army, 726 in our Air Corps and 745 in our Naval Service. We need to continue to build on this. I am pleased to say that we had 708 people inducted into the Permanent Defence Force last year. That was the highest number in over five years. The Defence Forces - I meet them regularly on this; I spoke to the Chief of Staff on this recently - are hoping to induct 800 at least this year as well. That would be encouraging. In addition to that, we are seeing an encouraging trend gleaned from the discharges figure for last year. Last year, there was a discharges figure of 674. That was 81 fewer than the previous year and the lowest in four years.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 163 and 164 together. It is a fair point. It is a matter of lies, damned lies and statistics. It depends on when one measures the point. I am going to say progress has been made in the last year and the Deputy is going to say, "Actually, if you look back over a number of years", and both could be true. The reality is that there are some encouraging signs of a stabilisation now as regards recruitment and retention, but I am also very truthful on this in that there is a long way to go to get to where we need to be, so there is certainly no room for complacency at all. What is interesting, though, is that we are seeing through the application process very significant interest in joining the Defence Forces, and that is to be welcomed.”
“"I do not know" is the honest answer to the question about Gormanston, but I will talk to the Chief of Staff about it and I am happy to come back to the Deputy with a written update.”
“I am smiling because this is one of the questions I get asked most frequently when I go around the country. The Deputy is right that our barracks often have good facilities and communities ask if they can get in too. Obviously, there are requirements from a security point of view, but there is also the issue of wanting our communities to be familiar with them. There have been good examples. This comes up a lot in the context of Cathal Brugha Barracks. It came up in the context of Renmore when I was there recently. I met a local community group wanting to know. In general, I have found the position of the Defence Forces and the Chief of Staff to be one of wanting to work with local communities where possible.”
“I need to check the difference between when it will be completed and when it will be operational. I do not expect there is a timeline there of much significance, but I will come back to the Deputy directly on that.”
“I will read my note to give the Deputy the up-to-date figures. I am told that in 2024, 577 recruits were inducted, consisting of 451 Army, 46 Air Corps and 80 Naval Service recruits into the Permanent Defence Forces. As of 28 February, which is the last date I have for figures, 34 recruits were inducted so far this year. On 19 March 2025, Gormanston welcomed its largest recruit class at 72 recruits, and when fully operational, it will have the capacity to accommodate the induction of 900 recruits per annum. The Deputy asked about timelines. As he rightly said, the works that were signed for in February - the multipurpose hall and the purpose-built obstacle course - are now under construction and are due to be completed by May 2026. That construction has started.”
“All of the projects I have mentioned are part of and are included in the Defence Forces infrastructure development plan, which sets out a programme of project delivery up to 2027. The capital allocation for building works in military installations and barracks around the country for the last five years was approximately €170 million. This year the capital allocation stands at €50 million for capital investment, with a further €12.5 million for ongoing maintenance and running costs.”
“Last month, my Department also signed a contract for the construction of a new locker block for enlisted personnel at Gormanston Camp, valued at €1.5 million. It is estimated it will take nine months to complete that. In addition to this new facility, the following construction works and projects are also under way at Gormanston: the upgrade of blocks A and B and the provision of a new running track. These projects, with a combined value of €1.1 million, are due to be completed this year. In the coming years, projects which are at various stages of procurement design and planning will deliver new buildings for Gormanston Camp at a combined value of more than €14 million. The buildings in question are a dining hall and an accommodation block with capacity for 100 people.”
“I thank Deputy O'Rourke for raising the question and the opportunity it provides to discuss some of the various investments and infrastructure improvements that are either currently under way, or are being planned, at Gormanston Camp in County Meath. As I know the Deputy will be aware, this training installation has now been designated as the Defence Forces’ Joint Induction Training Centre. Its function is to accommodate the induction training of all future recruits into the Defence Forces. In February of this year, my Department signed a contract for the construction of a new modern gymnasium at a value of €7.8 million for a multipurpose hall, as well as a purpose-built training obstacle course at Gormanston Camp. This project, I am pleased to say, is now under construction, and the estimated date for completion is May 2026.”
“My officials and I will keep in close contact with the Deputy on those issues as well. I thank him for his words of tribute to members of the Defence Forces. I am very conscious that, this week, men and women who have served in the 125th battalion in Lebanon are beginning to return home. I was in Renmore Barracks, where the 126th battalion is getting ready to be deployed to Lebanon. I met very excited soldiers, and sometimes nervous mothers, grannies, wives, husbands and children worried about their relative being away from the family. The sacrifices that the men and women of Óglaigh na hÉireann and military families make is something we should rightly pay tribute to and acknowledge. The Civil Defence in the Deputy's own community, my community and across the country makes an incredible contribution.”
“If, God forbid, we did not invest more in this and did not have the capabilities and something happened off our seas or in our skies, we would be facing more difficult questions in terms of why we did not make those investment decisions. We are in a good place. We have a long way to go, as the Deputy rightly said, to get to where we need to be in terms of the numbers of people in Óglaigh na hÉireann. It is all a jigsaw and is interlinked; if people start to see more investment, increased capability, more operations and the likes, it makes the Defence Forces more attractive. The reverse is also true. We need to get all the pieces of the jigsaw together.”
“The Deputy is right. We have to invest more in defence. In fairness, a lot of work was done, much of it by my predecessor, the Taoiseach, in terms of the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces. That was a very helpful and important piece of infrastructure. What we do not need to do, however, is every time we try to spend some money on defence, everybody asks about funding for another Department. We do not do that with regard to anything else. If somebody says we are giving more money to the Department of education, people do not ask about the Department of Health. Yet, any time we talk about spending more on national security, people ask why we are not putting more money into every other public service. National security is not just something that is nice to have. It is really important.”
“The big thing we need to do for our Naval Service in addition to getting more ships at sea is to provide sonar capability. As the Deputy knows, we hear about suspicious ships from time to time near the part of the country where he lives. Having that sonar capability, as well as our radar capabilities, would make a real difference to the security of the State.”
“Deputy McGrath knows from his own community and constituency the importance of the pride within which the Naval Service is held across our country, particularly in the part of the country where he lives because people are so familiar with the service there. I look forward to visiting Haulbowline with him in the time ahead. The Naval Service currently has a fleet of eight commissioned vehicles: two P50-class large patrol vessels, four P60-class offshore patrol vessels and two P70 inshore patrol vessels. The military authorities have advised me that three of the P60 class are currently available for operations, and they are conducting patrols on a rotation basis. The fourth vessel is currently undergoing planned maintenance. Basically, it means there are approximately two vessels actively operational at sea at any time.”
“On the Deputy's specific question on mid-life extensions, I will ask the Defence Forces for the latest information on that. I will provide that to the Deputy in writing.”
“I thank the Deputy. I know that he and his family have a proud family history of serving our State through the Naval Service. I thank them and all families across our country who have proud traditions with Óglaigh na hÉireann. I welcome the fact we now have the largest Defence Forces budget that we have ever had in our country, but we have a long way to go in terms of investing in the capabilities we need, and in particular having a better understanding of what happens up in our skies and below our seas. Debate in this House often gets drawn down an alleyway into one about military neutrality. We have no plans to change military neutrality but that is not an excuse or a cop out for not properly investing in our national security.”
“In direct answer to the Deputy's question, on 9 April 2025 there were 745 wholetime equivalent personnel within the Naval Service. I am pleased to see an uptick in the number of people now signing up. New recruits joining the Naval Service is much needed and requires constant attention.”
“I thank my colleague, Deputy Noel McCarthy, and I thank him for inviting me to Haulbowline, which he has done for a number of weeks. I very much look forward to visiting it with Deputy McCarthy and with colleagues in Cork because I am pleased to say we are investing heavily in improving the building infrastructure at Haulbowline. We have had a particular focus in recent years on trying to improve the accommodation to support our serving personnel while on duty. We have spent €13.5 million so far in providing additional accommodation. Since the inception of our development plan €18.5 million has been invested in various projects across the Haulbowline naval base as well. My senior officials, the incumbent Chief of Staff and others were down there recently for that three-day workshop to see what more we can do to support the Naval Service.”
“Let me talk further to the Chief of Staff and to officials in my Department and we can arrange a follow-up discussion on this shortly.”
“I will indeed keep the Deputy briefed on this matter. I am very happy to visit the harbour in Dún Laoghaire with him and Oireachtas colleagues. I know this is an issue of real interest to people in Dún Laoghaire, to the people on the east coast, and to the Naval Service. In addition to the operational benefits this could well bring, there is also a secondary benefit, which is the visibility of the Naval Service to the young men and women on the east coast who may wish to join and be recruited. There is a very proud tradition, of which we should be rightly proud, of the Naval Service in Cork as our national Naval Service presence in Cork. We are very proud of that and we are investing more in that. Imagine the benefit if the service also had a visibility and a presence on the east coast in somewhere like Dún Laoghaire.”
“Having a presence on the east coast of Ireland, and particularly in Dún Laoghaire, is an issue of concern for Deputy Devlin, and I see great wisdom in it too.”
“Since the inception of the Defence Forces infrastructure development plan €18.5 million has been invested in various projects across the naval base. Extensive work is ongoing to oversee a turnaround in the level of operational activity by our Naval Service and to this end I instructed a team consisting senior military officers, led by our Chief of Staff, and my senior officials to conduct a detailed workshop with the Naval Service. We need an action plan now for the Naval Service. On foot of this three-day workshop, conducted in March, a detailed report from the military authorities is being prepared to include courses of action to increase the numbers of ships at sea. With regard to contact with Dún Laoghaire, I do not have the most up-to-date information on that but I know how important the issue is to Dún Laoghaire.”
“A total of 97 personnel were inducted into the Naval Service in 2024, consisting of 80 general service recruits, 13 cadets, two re-enlisted personnel, one direct entry electrical artificer, and one direct entry chef. To date in 2025, a further 37 personnel have been inducted into training in the Naval Service and the most recent strength figure available as of 9 April is 745 wholetime equivalent personnel, of an agreed establishment strength of 1,094. In addition, we have invested heavily in improving the building infrastructure at Haulbowline, particularly focusing on improving the accommodation provided to serving personnel when on duty. To date, €13.5 million has been invested in providing additional accommodation.”
“The two P50 class vessels, the LÉ Róisín and the and LÉ Niamh are currently in operational reserve on the recommendation of the Naval Service. Deputies will be aware of the challenges facing the Naval Service in recent years, namely around recruitment and retention. To that end, I am pleased to say that we have recently seen a positive uptake in the numbers of new recruits joining the Naval Service. This upturn, in my view, is attributable to a range of measures, including the doubling of the patrol duty allowance, which took effect in January 2024. The effect has been that no patrol days have been cancelled or lost during 2024 or to date in 2025.”