{"id":248801,"date":"2026-01-14T14:44:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T14:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tg4.ie\/information\/press\/press-releases\/2026-2\/e13m-i-liuntais-saor-o-chain-le-cailleadh-ag-saighdiuiri-na-heireann-nuair-a-chuirfear-deireadh-le-unifil-in-2027\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T14:53:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T14:53:05","slug":"e13m-loss-in-tax-free-allowances-for-irish-soldiers-after-unifil-ends","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.tg4.ie\/en\/information\/press\/press-releases\/2026-2\/e13m-loss-in-tax-free-allowances-for-irish-soldiers-after-unifil-ends\/","title":{"rendered":"\u20ac13m loss in tax-free allowances for Irish soldiers after UNIFIL ends"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nImage credit: Irish Defence Forces<\/sup>
\n 
\n

Watch 7L\u00c1 here<\/strong><\/a><\/center>
\n 
\nOn TG4\u2019s current affairs programme 7L\u00c1, new figures obtained from the Department of Defence under the Freedom of Information Act show that \u20ac65.6 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.
\n 
\nIn 2025, two missions of 360 Irish peacekeepers served with UNIFIL, a year in which \u20ac13.7 million was paid in allowances.
\n 
\nOverall, an average of \u20ac13.1 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.
\n <\/p>\n

Allowances paid (2021\u20132025)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Payroll Year<\/strong><\/td>\n2021<\/strong><\/td>\n2022<\/strong><\/td>\n2023<\/strong><\/td>\n2024<\/strong><\/td>\n2025<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(\u20ac)<\/strong><\/td>\n13,001,224<\/td>\n13,952,049<\/td>\n12,140,033<\/td>\n12,800,621<\/td>\n13,722,643<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

 
\nIn a statement to 7L\u00c1 on TG4, PDFORRA<\/strong> (the representative body for enlisted personnel serving in the Defence Forces) said:
\n\u201cPayments 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.
\n\u201cFurthermore, 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.
\n\u201cAll 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.\u201d<\/em> – PDFORRA General Secretary Gerard Guinan<\/strong>
\n 
\nThe peacekeeping mission in Lebanon is Ireland\u2019s 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.
\n 
\nThe 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.
\n 
\nIreland is one of 48 countries who contribute personnel to UNIFIL\u2019s peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. The UN pays a flat rate of \u20ac1262 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.
\n 
\nIn response to 7L\u00c1 on TG4, the Department of Defence<\/strong> said:
\n\u201cWhile overseas service is an important element of the Defence Forces\u2019 recruitment appeal, it is not the sole factor. In addition to its international role, the Defence Forces also perform vital domestic functions.
\n\u201cAny 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.\u201d<\/em>
\n 
\nTaoiseach M\u00edche\u00e1l Martin has suggested that future deployments for Irish peacekeepers could include Ukraine, depending on how developments unfold.
\n 
\nResponding to 7L\u00c1\/TG4, RACO, the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers<\/strong>, said:
\n\u201cThe 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.
\n\u201cIt 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.”<\/em> – Lieutenant Colonel Conor King, RACO General Secretary<\/strong>.
\n  
\nIn a statement to 7L\u00c1 on TG4, President Catherine Connolly<\/strong> said:
\n\u201cSince 1978, over 30,000 members of \u00d3glaigh na h\u00c9ireann have served in Lebanon with distinction. That service sits within something even larger: Ireland\u2019s 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.
\n\u201cI 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. \u201cNow more than ever, we need to renew our commitment to the United Nations and its inbuilt structures for resolving conflict.\u201d<\/em>
\n 
\n

Watch 7L\u00c1 here<\/a><\/strong><\/center>
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Image credit: Irish Defence Forces   Watch 7L\u00c1 here   On TG4\u2019s current affairs programme 7L\u00c1, new figures obtained from the Department of Defence under the Freedom of Information Act show that \u20ac65.6 million in tax free allowances has been paid to Irish peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) over […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":876,"featured_media":0,"parent":248746,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/template-pr.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u20ac13m loss in tax-free allowances for Irish soldiers after UNIFIL ends | Press Release | TG4<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u20ac13m loss in tax-free allowances for 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