Defence Forces: Motion Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-21 ============================================================ Diarmuid Wilson (FF), Administrative Panel I welcome the Minister, Deputy McEntee, to the House. This is the first opportunity I have had to do so in her new capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence. I wish her well in the years ahead in that position. I welcome the opportunity to speak on an issue that goes to the very foundation of our sovereignty and security. It is a topic we do not debate sufficiently, but we can be proud in this Chamber that we speak about it more often than most. We do so with the benefit of extensive experience and considerable knowledge from Seanad colleagues who have served in the Defence Forces at various ranks and in one case in more than one defence force. Defence debates in this place are rational, informed and grounded in the realities of today's world. I have no doubt that this will be the case again today. At its heart, defence is about our responsibility as a nation to safeguard our people, protect our democracy and contribute credibly to peace and security at home and abroad. Let us be clear, Ireland's security environment has changed profoundly. The world we face in 2026 is more complex and unpredictable than at any time since the Cold War. We see it in Russia's continued aggression in eastern Europe, the bloodshed and horrors in Gaza and the West Bank, instability in north Africa, the growth in hybrid warfare, cyber threats and mass disinformation. The recent threats to Greenland from those in the current US Administration serve to add to a growing and alarming number of challenges to small open democracies like ours. Defence is integral to national resilience, economic security and, increasingly, the protection of our democratic institutions. In recent years, Ireland has experienced cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and interference with undersea cables that carry the digital lifeblood of our economy. We have seen Irish airspace and waters regularly transited by foreign military activity. We have witnessed how hybrid tactics, economic and informational, are used to test the will of small states like ours. Against that backdrop, I again acknowledge the work of the Commission on the Defence Forces and the Government's decision to move to level of ambition 2. Many of us in this House would like to see us move further and faster to level of ambition 3. With these caveats, I think we can say we are, for the first time in a decade, on the pathway to credible capability growth. Recruitment, pay reform, modernisation of infrastructure and investment in new maritime, cyber and air assets are not luxuries; they are obligations. However, we must also be honest with ourselves that the Defence Forces are still under enormous strain. Although there is a willing pool of available talent, recruitment remains below target, retention is fragile and morale has been tested. The good intentions of successive Ministers must be translated into clear measurable improvements. These include better remuneration, structured career paths and tangible respect for service. We must also be careful about how some pay rates are presented, for example, the rates of cadet and recruit pay. While we often hear the figures of €45,000 or €51,000 being bandied about as an impressive rate of pay for cadets, that is only paid after completion of training. The cadet in actual training earns around €25,000 in year one and €28,000 in year two. These are people in their early and mid-20s. They potentially have mortgages and a family, and they definitely have responsibilities. How many of us could commit to two years on that income? The situation is no better among general service recruits. On retention, we have a major issue with the post-2013 pension terms. This is across all services, but it has to be addressed urgently. I could list several other glaring anomalies, from the unevenness of the service commitment scheme, which still does not cover all air traffic controllers, to the outrageous situation where local bargaining payments under the current pay agreement are now six months overdue in some cases. The fact progress is so slow on these and other issues sends the wrong message entirely to serving personnel. We need a lot more action from the Department and this action must be politically driven from across the Cabinet. The men and women of Óglaigh na hÉireann serve with distinction at home and on UN missions abroad. They deserve a 21st century organisation worthy of their commitment. We have done much and that has to be acknowledged, but we have a lot more to do. The motion before us today makes note of this important fact. An expanded Defence Forces that numbers more than 11,500 personnel deserves the best facilities and accommodation. We must look seriously at expanding our barracks facilities today to accommodate further expansion of the Defence Forces. We should develop new facilities and re-open some closed ones, not least Dún Uí Néill, the former army barracks in Cavan town, which was closed in 2012. Dún Uí Néill was the only purpose-built army barracks ever built in the history of the State. It was closed in 2012 and that was a desperately short-sighted decision. It should be reopened immediately. I will deal with that in this House at a later date. A credible defence policy is built not only on personnel, but also on technology. The world of 2026 demands secure communications, resilient data systems and surveillance capacity that matches our maritime responsibilities, which extend over 1 million sq. km of ocean. To put it simply, our approach to our national defence must be rooted in sustainable investment, better governance and a culture of respect from the Cabinet table to operational command. Our generation must ensure Ireland's defence posture matches the realities of our time. It must be grounded in our values, but realistic about the threats we face. Members of the Defence Forces do their duty daily. They do it without fanfare and with the utmost professionalism and courage. It is our duty as legislators to give them the resources, respect and clarity of vision they deserve. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-01-21/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:31+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-01-21