Joe O'Reilly: Urges Pay, Recruitment and Defence Innovation
Joe O'Reilly spoke on defence funding, recruitment and pay, welcoming recent budget increases while urging further action to make service attractive and to strengthen Reserve forces. He pressed the minister for targeted pay rises, improved medical insurance, faster recruitment and investment in innovation and infrastructure protection.
Funding increases highlighted
He said capital funding has risen by £159 million to £300 million in 2026 (a 113% increase since 2022). Current non-pay funding increased by £127 million to almost £277 million in 2026 (an 84% rise) and current pay funding increased by £52 million to almost £598 million (a 10% rise).
Recruitment and pay concerns
O'Reilly welcomed improved recruitment and HR approaches but said gains of around 200 personnel this year are insufficient. He said numbers must rise to around 9,500, that pay must improve to attract recruits, and referenced proposals including "another £1,500 at minimum" and a shorter-term "£300 for this year" as examples raised in the debate. He also urged imaginative pay measures beyond national agreements to make careers in the Defence Forces more attractive.
Non-commissioned officers and conditions
He called for extra pay for non-commissioned officers and senior non-commissioned officers, suggesting options such as a non-bonus or long-service increment. He also asked the minister to consider improving medical insurance provision for personnel.
Infrastructure protection and innovation
O'Reilly welcomed the marathon strategy to protect underground cables and supported collaboration with the UK and France. He noted a call, referenced from Young Fine Gael, for substantial spending on new defence innovation developments - mentioning both a 50 billion request and a proposed 50 million defence innovation fund to tackle cybercrime and cyberattacks - and said industry owners of cables should be engaged to contribute.
Reserve Defence Forces and local impact
He highlighted the importance of well-resourced Reserve Defence Forces, noting their strength in his area, and asked the minister for an update and further support for reserves.
Summary and expectations
In closing, he reiterated that increased capital and pay allocations are welcome but insufficient alone: "If you don't put your money where your mouth is in this debate, it's a facade." He urged concrete follow-through on recruitment, pay, medical coverage, reserve support and innovation investment.
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Thank you. To welcome Minister Byrne and indeed to acknowledge as a welcoming that we had a very good trip around schools together recently in Cavern, where he did a very good presentation on Ireland's presidency of the EU and its implications. It's so important that we engage our young people in the democratic process. Might I also acknowledge Minister McEntee and the very proactive approach she's taken to this ministry and the leadership she's giving in defence at the moment. There are a number of heartening things in Minister McEntee's statement. I want to allude to them and then I want to make general observations. The capital funding allocation has increased by £159 million, 113% from £300 million in 22 now to, sorry, to £300 million in 26 and it was £159 million in 22. The current non-pay has increased by £127 million, 84% to almost £277 million in 2026 and that's the current non-pay. The current pay funding allocation has increased by £52 million, really important matters, I'll come to it in a moment, 10% to almost £598 million in 2026. So those are heartening increases and necessary, but if you don't put your money where your mouth is in this debate, it's a facade. I think it's important that we have the capital and pay increases. Now there are a number of things that are needed in the Defence Forces. Recruitment is improving, but it needs to improve a lot more and that was alluded to earlier by Senator Wilson looking at numbers. We need to get up considerably further, another £1,500 at minimum and we need to get a few hundred, have £300 for this year. So it's important to get recruitment, but you'll only get recruitment if it's attractive. You can't expect people, these are very patriotic people by definition, but you can't expect them to work for nothing or for low wages or comparatively low wages. So it's important that their pay improves. There's room for improvement of their medical insurance. And I'd ask your Minister maybe to respond or take note on that. We could do more to provide medical insurance for them. Non-commissioned officers and senior non-commissioned officers need an extra pay increase. And there are imaginative ways we look to do that. It could be a non-bonus or long service increment. And that's all the discussion has been at the moment. You might, Minister, give me an update on where that's at and are we making progress on that particular thing, because that's important. I just want to make a general observation that the pay element is a huge element. And we have to use, as well as national pay agreements, we have to use imaginative methods to make it attractive to join our defence forces. Recruitment has improved. Recruitment, HR approaches to recruitment have improved. All that's good. And it's up 200 this year, but that's not, up 200 recently, that's not enough. And it needs to go to 9,500. So we need to improve the pay and conditions and, of course, all of career opportunities, career development opportunities. Now, I welcome the marathon strategy. I think it's important in protecting the underground cables that we do collaborate with the UK and France. Other countries have as much invested interest in these underground cables as we do have. And there was a good point made earlier about looking to industry, made by Senator Wilson, looking to industry to the people owning the cables to make a contribution. Now, what if we need that? The Young Fine Gael have produced a defence strategy recently, and they've asked for 50 billion to be spent on new innovation developments. A 50 million defence innovation fund to look at cybercrime, new technologies to deal with cybercrime and, indeed, to deal with cyberattacks and, of course, with the issue, again, of the underground cables, et cetera. But we need innovation. I welcome the Young Fine Gael making that request, and it should be the case. I'll just sum up by saying that we need a well-resourced army. We also need to pay attention to our Reserve Defence Forces, who are strong in my area, and I want to see them supported. And I'd like the Minister to comment in his responses on the Reserve Defence Forces and where we're going there. So, in summary, we need a well-resourced army, well-paid and good resources. Senator McDonough, I'll leave it at that. Thank you. Thank you. You
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