Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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139. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the process that would be involved should Ireland decide to re-establish a Defence Forces infantry group to the UNDOF UN Peace Keeping mission in the Golan Heights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2212/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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There is no plan to review the decision to withdraw the Defence Forces' Infantry Group from the UNDOF mission this year. The replacement Troop Contributing Country (TCC) has been selected to take over the role of the Force Reserve Company, following the scheduled Irish departure in April 2024. Planning for the withdrawal of the Defence Forces' contingent and their replacement is well advanced, involving the United Nations, the Force Headquarters, the current Irish contingent and the replacement TCC to ensure a smooth handover that in no way compromises the mission.

Notwithstanding the withdrawal of the Infantry Group, the Defence Forces intend to continue to occupy a small number of staff officer posts at the UNDOF mission HQ.

Participation in future peacekeeping and crisis response missions will be considered on a case-by-case basis and when considering any particular request, the following factors are taken into account:

• An assessment of whether a peacekeeping operation is the most appropriate response.
• Consideration of how the mission relates to the priorities of Irish foreign policy.
• The degree of risk involved.
• The extent to which the required skills or characteristics relate to Irish capabilities.
• The existence of realistic objectives and a clear mandate, which has the potential to contribute to a political solution.
• Whether the operation is adequately resourced.
• The level of existing commitments to peacekeeping operations and security requirements at home.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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140. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 207 of 11 September 2023, the status of the review of the conciliation and arbitration scheme for the PDF; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2213/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Conciliation & Arbitration (C&A) Scheme for the Permanent Defence Force is the mechanism for addressing industrial issues within the Defence sector. In line with the Irish model of industrial relations, this is a voluntary mechanism which provides structures for management and staff to engage on collective issues that may arise. These structures have helped to maintain positive industrial relations in the sector over a number of years.

A revised Conciliation and Arbitration scheme is in place since 2020, incorporating the recommendations of an independent review of the scheme. An independent Chair of Conciliation Council, which the Permanent Defence Force Representative Associations had sought as a key outcome from the review, was appointed in March 2020.

A review of the C&A Scheme is currently being undertaken by the Independent Chair of the Conciliation Council. This was mutually agreed by all parties to the Scheme. Individual submissions have been sought and received by the Chair from all parties to the Scheme, and discussions between the Chair and the individual parties, on foot of those discussions, continue.

A plenary session, involving all parties to the C&A Scheme, was held in late 2023. Following on from this, further discussions have taken place. The Chair currently plans to hold a final plenary session, again with all parties, in order to complete this review early in 2024.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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141. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the status of the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces to establish an office of veterans' affairs; the funding that has been budgeted for this purpose for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2214/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The establishment of an Office of Veterans Affairs, under new Defence Forces structures, was one of 130 recommendations included in the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces which was published on 9th of February 2022.

Following detailed consideration by the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces of the recommendations in the report, a High Level Action Plan and a Memorandum for Government were brought to Government and approved on 12th of July 2022. The High Level Action Plan set out the response of Government in relation to each of the 130 individual recommendations: Accept, Accept in Principle, Further Evaluation or Revert. The recommendation to establish an Office of Veterans Affairs was accepted in principle, meaning that further consideration is required on the optimal approach to meeting the intent of the Commission.

A detailed implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces was published on 21st of November 2023. The plan sets out how the implementation of this recommendation will be progressed and the proposed timeframe.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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142. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the current number of officers, non-commissioned officers and privates in the First Line Reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2215/24]

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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143. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of applications to join the First Line Reserve received in 2023; the numbers within that have been enlisted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2216/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 143 together.

The First Line Reserve (FLR) is intended to provide a pool of trained personnel who are available at short notice to supplement Permanent Defence Force (PDF) units in times of emergency. There is currently no set establishment for the FLR.

The existing regulatory framework provides for former members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) to join the Army Reserve or Naval Service Reserve. This is subject to their meeting certain criteria. Direct entry to the FLR is limited to personnel who are departing the PDF and have undertaken, either voluntarily or on foot of a contractual commitment, to complete a period of service in the FLR.

The Military Authorities have advised that as of 30 November 2023, the strength of the First Line Reserve (FLR) is 282,comprising of 5 Officers, 46 Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and 231 Privates.

I can confirm that the FLR is an area, which will be examined, in the context of work arising from the Commission on the Defence Forces (CoDF).

As an interim measure, the Department continues to receive business cases from the Military Authorities for applications for officers wishing to join the FLR. The applications are assessed by the Minister on a case by case basis having regard to the particular skills-sets of the officer. In 2023, a total of 2 applications were received and approved while 1 application from 2022 was also approved and a further 1 received at the end of 2023 is under consideration.

I would like to assure the Deputy that it is my intention, and that of the Chief of Staff, to ensure that the momentum behind the regeneration of the RDF will be maintained, thereby enabling us, going forward, to create a Reserve Defence Force that can seamlessly train, operate and deploy with the Permanent Defence Force, both nationally and internationally.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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144. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the current timeframe for the implementation of the Working Time Directive within the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2217/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to assure the Deputy that I remain fully committed to ensuring that the provisions of the Working Time Directive are applied, where appropriate, to members of the Defence Forces. Action 28, of the Strategic Framework, published on 26 September last, stipulated that the civil-military management policy position on the implementation of the Working Time Directive within the Defence Forces would be finalised by the end of December 2023.

That management position was submitted to me before the end of last year and I am currently examining the paper in full.

As the Deputy will appreciate, I do not intend, at this point, to share the details of the final management position. As Minister for Defence, I will ultimately be making a determination on that position in due course.

However, as the Deputy will also be aware, the responsibility for developing the legislative framework to remove the blanket exemption for the Defence Forces in the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997, lies with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE). Upon my determination on the matter, my officials will thereafter commence formal engagement with the Department.

It will be matter for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to identify the appropriate legislative mechanism and this will of course, influence the timelines. My officials will be liaising with that Department in that regard.