Who is on the Commission on the Defence Forces and what is its remit?

The Commission on the Defence Forces was asked by Government in December 2020 to undertake a comprehensive review of the Defence Forces and to report on its recommendations by the end of 2021.

The remit covers capabilities, structures and staffing against a backdrop of the high-level defence goal which is to provide for the military defence of the State, contribute to national and international peace and security and fulfil all other roles assigned by Government. The commission was also seeking to develop a longer-term vision for beyond 2030.

Its final report to Government was published on Wednesday. Under its most ambitious proposals, the current €1.1 billion defence budget would increase by 200 per cent*, the Naval Service would be made up of 12 ships and the Air Corps would be equipped with long-range transport aircraft and a squadron of between 12 and 24 fighter jets to police Irish skies.

The chairman of the Commission on the Defence Forces is former secretary general of the Department of Justice Aidan O’Driscoll. Mr O’Driscoll also worked in Africa and Asia in a variety of roles and was chairman of the Committee on World Food Security 2000-2002.

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The commission members include:

• Stephanie O'Donnell, a retired civil servant
• Haakon Bruun-Hanssen, the retired Norwegian chief of defence
• Shay Cody, former general secretary of Fórsa
• Prof Maura Conway, Paddy Moriarty Professor of Government and International Studies in the School of Law and Government at DCU
• Marie Cross, a retired assistant secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and former ambassador to the European Union Political and Security Committee.
• Prof Anja Dalgaard-Nielsen is a Danish researcher and security policy expert. She is Director of the Institute for Strategy at the Royal Danish Defence College.
• Dan Harvey who retired from the Defence Forces with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in June 2017 following 40 years' service
• Caitríona Heinl, executive director at the Azure Forum for Contemporary Security Strategy
• John Minihan, a former senator and retired captain in the Defence Forces
• Lieut Gen Conor O' Boyle, retired chief of staff of Óglaigh Na hÉireann, the Defence Forces.
• Esa Pulkkinen, who has served as director general of the defence policy in the Finnish ministry of defence in 2011-2016 and from 2020 to date.
• Geraldine Tallon, a career civil servant in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, where she worked in many capacities, including as Secretary General
• Gerry Waldron, who served for 16 years in the Defence Forces in a variety of operational and training roles, both at home and in the Middle East.
• Jane Williams, managing partner with Sia Partners, a strategy and organisational change consultancy

*This article was amended on February 10th, 2022