Press

€13m loss in tax-free allowances for Irish soldiers after UNIFIL ends

14.01.26

^{Image credit: Irish Defence Forces}
 

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On TG4’s current affairs programme 7LÁ, new figures obtained from the Department of Defence under the Freedom of Information Act show that €65.6 million in tax free allowances has been paid to Irish peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) over the past five years.
 
In 2025, two missions of 360 Irish peacekeepers served with UNIFIL, a year in which €13.7 million was paid in allowances.
 
Overall, an average of €13.1 million per year in Peace Support and Armed Peace Support Allowances was paid to both officers and enlisted personnel in Lebanon between 2021 and 2025.
 

Allowances paid (2021–2025)

Payroll Year	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
(€)	13,001,224	13,952,049	12,140,033	12,800,621	13,722,643

 
In a statement to 7LÁ on TG4, PDFORRA (the representative body for enlisted personnel serving in the Defence Forces) said:
“Payments of Armed Peace Support Allowances form an important part of the income of Defence Forces members and their families. Overseas service allows personnel to apply their training in an operational environment, validating skills and building confidence.
“Furthermore, overseas service contributes significantly to the assessment criteria for promotions. The loss of this opportunity could negatively affect new cohorts compared to more experienced personnel.
“All of these factors could have a detrimental impact on our ability to retain and recruit personnel at a time when international security demands are increasing.” – PDFORRA General Secretary Gerard Guinan
 
The peacekeeping mission in Lebanon is Ireland’s largest deployment by far, with 30,000 Irish soldiers having served with UNIFIL since 1978. The United Nations plans to end its operations in Southern Lebanon on 31 December 2026.
 
The UN Security Council voted in August 2025 to end UNIFIL operations amid pressure from the United States and Israel. When UNIFIL concludes operations in Lebanon, only a handful of small overseas missions will remain available to Irish soldiers.
 
Ireland is one of 48 countries who contribute personnel to UNIFIL’s peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. The UN pays a flat rate of €1262 to countries for each member of a military unit deployed to a United Nation overseas mission and a large portion of the allowances available to peacekeepers.
 
In response to 7LÁ on TG4, the Department of Defence said:
“While overseas service is an important element of the Defence Forces’ recruitment appeal, it is not the sole factor. In addition to its international role, the Defence Forces also perform vital domestic functions.
“Any savings from reduced overseas missions will be reallocated to meet other Defence priorities. Potential deployments will be considered by the Government on a case-by-case basis.”
 
Taoiseach Mícheál Martin has suggested that future deployments for Irish peacekeepers could include Ukraine, depending on how developments unfold.
 
Responding to 7LÁ/TG4, RACO, the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, said:
“The Defence Forces has served overseas on peacekeeping missions since 1958, almost 7 decades, and this is a record that we are rightly proud of. Overseas service provides soldiers with crucial operational experience in a multinational environment and is important for career development.
“It is disappointing that the UNIFIL mission is coming to an end, and we hope that a new mission will be found for the Defence Forces to participate in soon.” – Lieutenant Colonel Conor King, RACO General Secretary.
 
In a statement to 7LÁ on TG4, President Catherine Connolly said:
“Since 1978, over 30,000 members of Óglaigh na hÉireann have served in Lebanon with distinction. That service sits within something even larger: Ireland’s enduring belief that when international law is tested, every country, large or small, has a duty to defend it, and that multilateralism is not an idea, but a practice.
“I want to acknowledge in particular the 47 members who lost their lives in Lebanon in the cause of peace. Their service was an act of courage and conscience, and their names and sacrifice will never be forgotten by the people of Ireland. We hold their families in our thoughts today and always. “Now more than ever, we need to renew our commitment to the United Nations and its inbuilt structures for resolving conflict.”
 

Watch 7LÁ here