RACO Annual Delegate Conference - Tánaiste's Keynote Address

Trim, County Meath - 14th October 2025

President and General Secretary of RACO; Secretary General of the Department of Defence; Deputy Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces; Distinguished Guests; Conference Delegates.

Tá áthas orm a bheith anseo i mBaile Átha Troim do chomhdháil bhliantúil RACO.

It’s a great pleasure for me to join you all here in Trim this afternoon - my first RACO conference as Tánaiste and Minister for Defence.

I want to begin by thanking your President, Lieutenant Colonel Martin Ryan, and your General Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Conor King, for the kind invitation to be here today.

I also want to thank and indeed congratulate your Deputy General Secretary, Derek Priestley, on his recent appointment to the rank of Colonel - this is something that I was very pleased to sign off on following positive engagement with my officials in the Department of Defence, Military management and indeed RACO.

Derek, you have been a great leader in the Defence Forces and RACO. Someone who always works with people to find solutions, your promotion is wholly deserved and I want to sincerely congratulate you on that.

I know the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy cannot be here today as he is overseas currently, visiting our troops in UNIFIL for a medal ceremony.

The Chief is represented, by our Deputy Chief of Staff Colm O Luasa - Colm I congratulate you too on your promotion and I look forward to working with you in the months and years ahead.

Defence Environment

Delegates, we gather here today at a time of tremendous uncertainty.

The security environment, not only in Europe - but across the World - is volatile and unpredictable, more so than at any point in recent history.

I know today, at this, the RACO Conference, that I’m speaking to military leaders, women and men who have embarked on some of the most difficult missions that this country has ever been involved in.

You’ve done so - because you’re proud of this country.

You’ve done so because you are leaders. People who believe in stepping up to the plate.

You’ve done so, too, because you care about the next generation coming forward.

Young men and women of Óglaigh na hÉireann. Our military leaders of the future. Young people that you will guide and nurture.

Because that is what you are about.

I mentioned our Chief of Staff and his presence in UNIFIL today.

One of my first engagements, as Tánaiste, was to visit our troops in UNIFIL.

Following that, I spent most of my summer speaking to my counterparts across Europe about the importance of the UNIFIL mission continuing.

Delegates, as you know so well, UNIFIL is not just about keeping peace and security on the Blue Line.

It’s a mission that sums us up as a Nation.

A nation that has the longest unbroken peacekeeping record in the world.

I believe in the UNIFIL Mission, I’m glad we ensured there was no cliff edge end to a mission. That has made a difference to the people of Lebanon.

I have raised with my European colleagues the possibility of adapting the excellent model of EUMAM to continue support and ensuring training for the Lebanese Armed Forces.

We remember also today your colleagues, the serving members of Óglaigh na hÉireann, who made the ultimate sacrifice for peace in Lebanon.

As Tánaiste, I will continue to do all I can to ensure those behind the crimes that led to Private Seán Rooney’s death, and the injury of colleagues are brought to justice.

Delegates, make no mistake about it, becoming a soldier today means entering the most volatile and unpredictable landscape in modern history.

You have an obligation to lead and shape our future personnel.

It will be up to you all, our military leaders, to chart their course.

The course of the new generation of Óglaigh na hÉireann.

Because, let’s be honest, we are dealing with unprecedented times.

Times in which it has become so normalised, through our social media feeds and our television screens, to see images of pain, suffering and conflict involving our fellow human beings.

Of course, the recent Peace Deal in Gaza has given us much needed cause for hope. We think of all the hostages and their families who waited in agony for their return, and pray for those who did not.

It is a Peace Deal that we all hope stands the test of time.

I want to assure you that Ireland will not be found wanting in contributing to the reconstruction of Gaza.

Yesterday, I announced a further €6m in humanitarian aid, bringing our funding in support to the people of Palestine in the last two years to over €100 million.

Work is also ongoing on further substantial package of assistance, because we know how very great the need is, but we can finally begin a new conversation about Gaza.

And we can finally talk about Peace – long-lasting, secure peace for Israel and Palestine.

I do know, Delegates, that hope is the most difficult thing to find right now if you are living in Kyiv, Kharkiv, or any other Ukrainian city under intense, daily and relentless Russian bombardment.

It’s beyond belief to think that the war in Ukraine has now surpassed 1,300 days.

We all think of the scale of the killings, the missiles, the bloodshed – and there just seems to be no end in sight.

Ukraine is a sovereign country, a European neighbour. Putin’s invasion and continuing onslaught is illegal.

I am deeply troubled too by what we have seen in recent weeks, clear breaches of EU airspace by Russia, impacting neighbours such as Poland, Estonia and Romania and Denmark.

These incursions are reckless; they threaten European security and regional stability.

Ireland is steadfast in our support for EU efforts to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. This includes the provision of non-lethal military support and the ongoing training of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel by members of the Defence Forces.

Already twenty training modules have been delivered in a variety of areas including demining, drill instruction training, basic training and junior leadership training to approximately 900 Ukrainian personnel.

Let me say this, as your Minister for Defence, with the support of the Chief of Staff and my Secretary General - we will not be found wanting if there is a request for Ireland to send a Peacekeeping Force to Ukraine.

This can only happen if a peace deal is reached.

We have a proud peace keeping recording in this country.

In the event of a peace deal, and the formation of an appropriately mandated peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, I will certainly look favourably on the deployment of Irish peacekeepers.

Delegates, I’m going to bring things closer to home.

I am committed to the continued transformation of the Defence Forces.

RACO has been very constructive and forward looking in ensuring that issues that affect the Defence Forces are addressed, as we continue this transformation journey.

The recent Value Our People Survey provides valuable information in relation to the key issues affecting personnel.

As leaders in the Organisation, I want to thank you for your positive ongoing engagement with this important piece of work.

So, I want to address a couple of issues that have been raised by RACO:

• Where the issue of the position of Director of Military Prosecutions is concerned, in the spirit of positive industrial relations, I am prepared to implement the outcome of this Industrial Relations process,
• With regard to Chaplains and their representation I’ve asked for this matter to be acted on with urgency,
• I think today of Father Paul Murphy, who was subjected to the most heinous of attacks at Renmore Barracks,
• Finally, when it comes to cadet pay, I am aware of this issue arising and we will work to ensure progress is made in the short term, to support you in bringing forward the leaders of the future.

Delegates, I am very aware of the issues affecting the Defence Forces - the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps.

It’s why I worked hard to secure a 54 per cent increase in the National Development Plan - a €1.7 billion euro investment in our personnel.

It’s why I secured a €1.5 billion euro budget to bring us on course to LOA2.

It’s why I insisted on the Professional Instructors Payment for your members.

It’s also why I delivered an agreement with DPER to ensure we secured a Service Commitment Scheme for our Air Traffic Control Personnel at Baldonnel, and why the Working Time Directive is being applied across the Defence Forces.

I will continue to work relentlessly on the absolute priority that is our Defence Forces. Under my leadership, the Defence Forces will receive the recognition and support it so richly deserves.

Thank you for your welcome here today; I look forward to meeting you afterwards and especially thank you for the work you do.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh.