90. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Defence to confirm her engagement with the UN Security Council on the plan to withdraw UN peacekeeping troops from Lebanon, with recent accusations from Israel on alleged rearming of Hezbollah; the number of complaints UNIFIL has made to the IDF on its military fire on UN peacekeeping troops in Lebanon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71591/25]
Sentiment score: 0.23
I congratulate the Minister on her appointment and wish her every success in the role. Will she outline what engagements she has had with UNIFIL about the security of Defence Forces' personnel in Lebanon? Has she identified any additional security threats in view of the decision to end the mission there?
Sentiment score: 0.43
Irish men and women have served with such distinction over many years in Lebanon. The Minister is right: it is such a regrettable decision that the mission would not continue. Nonetheless this decision of UNIFIL and the mission not going on leave a void once the force starts to scale down its numbers and the possibility of a scramble to fill that void, whether from one side or another there. That is a threat both to people locally there and to the troops themselves. Has the Minister identified particular threats in that regard? Are steps being taken to ensure that the Irish people who will be there as that scale-down occurs will remain safe and will be able to conduct a peacekeeping mission there? In addition, there have been incidents where the IDF has fired on them. Has the Minister complained to UNIFIL in that regard? If so, what has been the response?
Sentiment score: -0.17
I need to return to the original question. Has the Minister identified additional threats locally there, particularly in view of the changing situation and the reduction in the numbers of Irish troops there over the course of days, weeks, months or whatever length of time that will take? There is likely to be some level of additional threat there. Have any threats been identified from either side? To return to the point about Irish troops having been fired on by the IDF and the challenges the Minister may have made to UNIFIL in that regard, how have they responded, what level of commitment will they give that people will be safe during the transition, and have they given any commitment thereafter?
Sentiment score: -0.09
93. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Defence the defence measures being taken to address any threats posed by non-State drones violating Irish airspace; the risks that have been identified; the measures being advanced to combat risks posed by hybrid activities on the island of Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71590/25]
Sentiment score: -0.28
The recent visit of President Zelenskyy highlighted the threat from drones and the gaps in our defences in respect of how we deal with drones. Will the Minister outline efforts to deal with drone threats and hybrid conflict?
Sentiment score: -0.38
One of the issues that was highlighted arising from that incident was where the Irish vessel was not able or did not feel it could engage with the drone because there were no rules of engagement in place. Will that be dealt with? Will they be put in place and how quickly will that happen? There is a whole range of policies that would be needed to support dealing with the drones, I imagine. I understand the Minister is looking at the possibility of investing up to €1.6 billion in a radar system which would be in place by about quarter 2 of next year. In advance of that, I expect the Minister can be engaged in putting in place the various policies. Is there a timeline laid out for those? Is the Minister looking at the possibility of deploying our own drones?
Sentiment score: 0.16
Drone technology is typically used as part of hybrid warfare, where there are various techniques including online, physically on the ground or indeed under water. I have raised repeatedly the threat to the cables offshore and the danger there as well. It seems we do not have underwater capability so the view was to have wireless or remote-controlled visibility under the sea as well. Is the Minister advancing drone technology to defend the underwater cables as well? Is the drone defence entirely a radar of the skies? Is the Minister looking at a hybrid approach where there also would be a threat underwater? We have seen it again and again that the drones would be used as a type of hybrid weapon rather than one thing on its own.
Sentiment score: -0.17
Will the Minister outline the progress that has been made on the introduction of the rank of lance corporal? When will it be introduced to the Army?
Sentiment score: 0.21
As the Minister has said, the Commission on the Defence Forces recommended the creation of the new rank of lance corporal in the Army and the Air Corps. It also recommended that consideration be given to whether there is a need for an equivalent rank in the Naval Service. The qualification course for this rank should be of short duration and conducted in the home unit. The commission believes the creation of the rank of lance corporal would allow for earlier rank progression for enlisted personnel with leadership potential and that it would also offer unit commanders and senior NCOs the opportunity to assess the leadership ability of junior personnel before further advancement. The rank would also be useful for specialist trades as it could allow privates to advance and carry out supervisory functions without needing to complete the potential NCO course. I understand that work is being done in the background, as the Minister has outlined. Is there a projected timeline for this to be brought to fruition and for the rank of lance corporal to be introduced?
Sentiment score: 0.30
The first thing I take from the Minister's response is that a decision has not been made to put such a rank in place. When my colleagues and I had the opportunity to meet with PDFORRA recently, the association was very clear that this was needed. The Commission on the Defence Forces has also been very clear on it. Why is there uncertainty as to whether this rank would be created? Time can be spent trying to develop the course and bring it to fruition but the decision as to whether it should be introduced or not should surely be made at this stage. Will the Minister clarify why it has not been? What impediments need to be cleared? Why is the Minister not convinced of the need for this post? How quickly will a decision be made on it?
Sentiment score: 0.05