One of the Defence Forces newest aircraft has spent almost 40 per cent of the last year undergoing maintenance in Spain.

The new body armour will provide ‘state-of-the-art protection’ to troops during their missions, the Tánaiste said.

He said Ireland also needed to invest in capabilities to monitor what happens ‘around our seas and in our skies’.

Minister for Defence Simon Harris emphasised that he values Ireland’s neutrality.

Pearse Doherty said Ireland has an international reputation of having respected peacekeepers throughout the world

Thales, a French-owned arms company, already runs a factory in east Belfast and test facility in Co Down.

The Cabinet is to sign off on €100 million in increased aid for Ukraine.

Simon Harris said Ireland’s ‘proud tradition’ in peacekeeping cannot be held up by ‘paralysis at UN’.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the world had 'changed dramatically in the last three years'

Simon Harris, who is Minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs, made the comments as he attended the Munich Security Conference

The Department of Defence announced an interim complaints procedure for Defence Forces members.

Some flights which were reported to have carried munitions through Irish airspace were not in breach on international law, Eamon Ryan said.

The tribunal was established to investigate bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment within the Defence Forces.

Women of Honour wants the deadline for submission of statements to be extended beyond close of business on September 30.

President Michael D Higgins officially opened the National Ploughing Championships in Co Laois.

More than 170 Irish soldiers will be part of the group that could be deployed next year for peace enforcement or humanitarian crisis response.

The Tánaiste also condemned attacks on gardaí as ‘an attack on democracy’.

It came after the legislation was referred to the Council of State to discuss its constitutionality.

The meeting took place to examine legislation to regulate Defence Forces’ representative associations.

The Council of State will meet on Monday afternoon

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she didn't want a situation where somebody convicted of a serious offence in the past has 'since been promoted'

The Taoiseach earlier said that information on how many serving members had criminal convictions was not immediately available to him.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin signed a statutory instrument to establish the tribunal on Thursday

The Government has ordered a tribunal of inquiry to examine the effectiveness of the complaints processes in the Defence Forces.

He will take up the role in May 2025.

The Taoiseach made the comments during his first visit to the European Council.

The Defence Forces' "historically low" numbers of 7,500 are a reflection of the slow pace of implementing recommended reforms

The Thales plant in east Belfast design and produce high precision missiles

The Guardsman gathered at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire

Major Kevin McCool, 32, died in the African country on November 29th, the UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed

A spokeswoman said ‘serious issues’ remain in the negotiations.

There is a target to get to 11,500 members of the Permanent Defence Forces by 2028

There were 7,671 members of the Permanent Defence Forces at the end of August.