Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence to discuss the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023 with representatives from ICTU, PDFORRA, RACO and EUROMIL

Representatives from Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), Permanent Defence Forces Representative Association (PDFORRA), Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO) and European Organisation of Military Associations and Trade Unions (EUROMIL) will appear at the Committee.

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Charlie Flanagan said: “We welcome the opportunity to meet for pre legislative scrutiny of the Heads of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023. The majority of the proposed Bill arises from recommendations from the Independent Review Group and the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces.

It is proposed that this Bill will provide for amendments to be made to the Defence Acts 1954 to 2015 to cover the following 3 broad areas: to provide for the establishment on a statutory basis of the External Oversight Body of the Defence Forces (as recommended by the report of the Independent Review Group on dignity and equality issues in the Defence Forces); to amend the Defence (Amendment) Act 1990 to provide a statutory basis for the Minister to authorise the military representative associations to associate with ICTU; and (ii) to make a related amendment to the Defence Act 1954. It also seeks to make a number of miscellaneous amendments to the Defence Acts.

We look forward to discussing the proposed Bill with representatives.”

Watch the meeting live on oireachtas.ie or on the Oireachtas smartphone app for Apple and Android.