Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024 published

The first of two Bills to drive forward the cultural transformation of the Defence Forces providing for the establishment and operation, on a statutory basis, of the External Oversight Body, which was a key recommendation of the Independent Review Group has been published.

The Bill will provide a statutory basis for the Minister for Defence to authorise the representative associations to associate with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU). In addition, the Bill proposes a number of miscellaneous amendments to the Defence Acts, including the protection of the term “Óglaigh na hÉireann”.

A number of other legislative commitments relating to Defence policy and the transformation of the Defence Forces will be the subject of separate legislative proposals this year.