Thousands of Defence Forces personnel and hundreds of military vehicles have been deployed to assist in housing the record numbers of asylum seekers and Ukrainian refugees in recent years, new figures show.
Since 2022, at the request of government, the Defence Forces has been providing transport, accommodation and logistical support for those fleeing the war in Ukraine and large numbers of people seeking international protection.
The response is called Operation Fáilte and forms part of the Defence Forces’ “aid to the civil authority” duties. In recent years, other types of military assistance to civilian agencies have included carrying out Covid-19 tests and contact tracing, air ambulance services and firefighting.
Figures show that, since the war in Ukraine and an increase in asylum seeker arrivals, which peaked last year, the government became increasingly reliant on the military to meet its international protection commitments.
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In total, 8,114 workdays have been deployed by the Defence Forces in support of Operation Fáilte since it began in 2022, according to the latest figures, which go up to 2024.
In addition, there have been 1,239 “vehicle movements” as part of the operation during the three-year period.
The Defence Forces’ contribution to the government response to the refugee crisis was greatest in 2022 at the start of the war in Ukraine when 3,429 workdays were required.
By last year, this had reduced to 1,161. The number is expected to be lower again this year due to a significant fall in the number of asylum seekers arriving in Ireland in 2025.
In addition to work from members of the Permanent Defence Forces, 378 workdays were required from the Reserve Defence Forces since Operation Fáilte began three years ago.
Tasks undertaken by the Defence Forces included fitting out the international protection accommodation centre in Citywest, Dublin, and helping to manage its facilities.
In 2022, soldiers constructed an emergency accommodation and reception centre in Gormanstown Camp and deployed 13 large military tents to shelter asylum seekers in Knockalisheen Accommodation Centre, Co Clare. These remain in use.
Between 2022 and 2024, Ballymullen Barracks in Tralee was made available for accommodating 62 asylum seekers, along with Kilbride Camp, Co Wicklow, which has capacity for 124.
Mullingar Barracks accommodated up to 124 asylum seekers in tents before 62 self-catering modular homes were installed last year.
The Defence Forces also provided storage containers and 500 sleeping bags to the Department of Integration in response to the crisis.
Additionally, shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine, Irish soldiers set up a dedicated call centre operation alongside the Irish Red Cross to field calls from the public pledging accommodation for war refugees.
More than 17,500 calls were taken and almost 5,000 pledges were received before the operation concluded in May 2022.
