DF Commission Report

You're right about capacity being the only consideration on further ambition too.

Even now we couldn't on-board LoA 2.5 due to lack of capacity, so rather than talking about LoA 3 in PfGs, they need to get the finger out on:

• CHoD (And any legislation for the re-org)
• Force re-org, service HQs, appoint OCs and defence staff, begin procuring the built infrastructure
• Pension reform
• Reserve structures to renew expert roles, in the NS particularly

I do welcome the mentions in the PfG of the focus on building more much. more quality accommodation for personnel on base and also of setting up Reserve Units attached to the 3rd Level institutions. Both are aspects I've been hammering away on with a few government TDs and Ministers of my acquaintance.

No full minister, and not even a mention of who has the defence portfolio in any of the articles I've read so far.

Cant link the website but the Brief for the new minister is up. Some highlights include the new radar, PC9 replacement search to start and an issue with the air corps HEMS and its future operations and location. It would be interesting to see what thats about. Do the air corps want HSE to buy a HEMS fleet long tern and they fly them?

The bit on HEMS:

7.12 Air Ambulance

The Air Corps provide a long standing emergency inter-hospital transfer service within Ireland
and to the United Kingdom in support of the HSE. This service is underpinned by a SLA
between the Department of Defence and the Department of Health, which formalises
arrangements for the provision of the service by the Air Corps.

In addition, the Air Corps also supports the HSE Emergency Aeromedical Support (EAS)
service. This service commenced in June 2012 and was established, initially on a pilot basis,
by agreement between the Departments of Defence and Department of Health. A permanent
service was established following a Government decision in July 2015, subject to ongoing
review in the context of ensuring a sustainable, long term service arrangement. In line with
this Government decision, White Paper Project No.16 was undertaken to complete this review.

The joint civil/military White Paper Project Team finalised the completed project report as of
December 2024, on a partially disagreed basis. While a disagreed report is never the desired
outcome for any project, the respective diverging a priorities of the Defences Forces and the
Health stakeholders on the future location of the service was such that total consensus was not
achieved.

Not withstanding this, the completed report included a detailed analysis of the
current service and proposed a series of other operational and administrative
recommendations for future EAS provision.

Going forward it is expected that the outstanding issue of future service location will be
revisited by a dedicated working group comprising relevant Defence Forces and Department
personnel in line with Government decisions and long terms plans to continue to the EAS
service. In the interim, day to day operations will continue in the established manner out of
Custume Barracks, Athlone.

The Air Corps supports this service through the provision of a dedicated helicopter operating

during daylight hours out of Custume Barracks, Athlone, with reserve support being provided

by the Irish Coast Guard. Since being established, the Air Corps has performed over 4,236 EAS
missions.

He's right, the link won't copy correctly for some reason.

Its on the gov.ie DoD main page anyway, scroll down a good bit.

Thank you

they had an oopsie with redaction so I imagine it’s been taken down totally while they get around to fixing that…

https://www.thejournal.ie/tanaiste-warned-that-tolerance-for-irelands-neutral-stance-may-run-out-in-eu-defence-matters-6607142-Jan2025/

Yip they have taken it down

Surprisingly easy, remember that PSNI leak last year or the year before? IT systems can't stop Human Error.

Though to be honest having downloaded before it was pulled and had a read through, outside of embarrassing things for us like pointing out even the rest of the EU might be getting tired of our Bull, I didn't see anything that major in it in terms of national security type issues. Though that's more that we don't take National Security/Defence seriously enough for their to be anything major to disclose in the Briefing.

be quite lucrative that role… seen as the DF love to consult on things, but never buy anything

consultants and consultations aren't free

If it is a high level thing, its hard to know what value it's adding.

The Commission Report gave a very detailed command and force structure reorg recommendation and this was broken down into enabling actions and a timeline in the implementation plan.

i had made a simlar point before that they could not really put a order in for new armour untill they agreed what the new army/Land compondent was going to look like

But the problem is they have comitted to 2028 and also as many have mentioned there will be a big lead in time on military gear so they need to get the order in now.

At present all in the order is expected to be 300 plus armoured vechiles covering everthing from IFVs, APCs etc. If they need to order more they can just add more.

Martin and Harris have had quite a few reality checks lately, at Munich and the emergency EU leaders meetings.

Our partners have stopped saying please. And you wouldn't blame them.