An Cosantóir

| 7 B eannachtaí na Féile, As Christmas approaches, it's a time for reflection. 2025 has been a busy year, marked by significant change. In the last few weeks, President Connolly was inaugurated as Uachtarán na hÉireann and became the new Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces. We congratulate her on her election and wish her well during her term-of-office. Earlier in the year, the Tánaiste, Simon Harris TD, became our new Minister for Defence and, in mid-year, Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy, replaced General Seán Clancy as Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces when General Clancy took up his new role as Chair of the European Union Military Committee. I want to express my gratitude to each of you for your continued commitment and excellent service. At this time, I am particularly mindful of those serving abroad and their families at home. Christmas, along with other family events, can be a challenging time for those away. I want to especially acknowledge the support of your families, without whom you wouldn't be able to do what you do to make the world a safer and better place for people less fortunate than us. We learned recently that the UNIFIL mission is to come to an end. With over 40 years participation in UNIFIL, the Defence Forces and, by extension, the people of Ireland, have developed a special relationship and a strong bond with the people of Lebanon. This is another area of change that we will have to deal with over the coming year. As the transformation of the Defence Forces continues, together we have made significant progress in a number of areas, including the removal of the blanket exemption from the Organisation of Working Time and the introduction of Professional Instructors Payment for Officers. The Tánaiste secured the continuation of the Pilots' Service Commitment Scheme and the extension of that scheme to Air Traffic Control Personnel. Meanwhile, investment in the Defence Forces is continuing apace. In February, a new Defence Forces' Cadet School was opened at the Defence Forces Training Centre, providing a modern, purpose-built facility for training the future leaders of Óglaigh na hÉireann. This followed a €5 million contract for the upgrade of accommodation at Collins Barracks. In April, the new €1.4 million helicopter hangar for the Athlone- based Emergency Aeromedical Service was opened. This will enable technicians to conduct the necessary inspections and safety checks to ensure that the Air Corps can continue to provide such a valuable service throughout the year. Another milestone was the announcement in April of €46.3 million in funding for a new Headquarters and Training Centre for the Army Ranger Wing. We also signed a multi-million-euro contract for the provision of towed sonar capability in June, which will allow the Naval Service to build a picture of our subsea, contributing to the important task of protecting our critical underwater infrastructure. This is one of many strands of work being progressed to address the threats in our maritime domain together with the development of a Maritime Security Strategy. In October, the Air Corps took delivery of the third and final Airbus C-295 aircraft, all of which have arrived in the last two years. This aircraft, in a dedicated Military Transport configuration, will provide a significant airlift and general utility capability to the Defence Forces. The State's investment of approximately €300 million in the three C-295 aircraft and associated costs represents the largest equipment acquisition project ever undertaken for the Defence Forces. In addition, in mid-December the Air Corps will take delivery of a Dassault Falcon 6X strategic reach aircraft, which represents a significant enhancement of the State's strategic reach, transport, casualty transfer and broader utility capabilities and is further evidence of the government's ongoing commitment to enhancing the capabilities of our Defence Forces. The record increase in capital funding of €1.7 billion allocated to Defence in the National Development Plan will ensure the ongoing transformation of our Defence Forces and strengthen Ireland's defence by increasing investment in our capabilities. Throughout the year, I had the privilege and honour of being warmly welcomed to various events, including commissioning ceremonies, anniversaries, commemorations, launches and other occasions, including Camp Shamrock in Lebanon earlier this year. It is always a great privilege to speak with those I can meet in person, including the opportunity to also talk with your proud families and veterans. As we celebrate this festive season, let us take a moment to reflect on the achievements of the past year. Through collaboration and commitment we have collectively delivered on very important milestones and objectives. Nowhere was that collaboration more obvious than in the preparation of the Department of Defence and Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2025–2028, which will be a guiding plan for us in the coming years. Thank you again and wishing you and your loved ones peace, happiness and health in the coming year. SECRETARY GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE JACQUI MCCRUM JACQUI MCCRUM www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS MESSAGE Jacqui McCrum Secretary General Department of Defence

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