A roadside bomb which injured three members of the Army Ranger Wing (ARW) in Mali was probably laid by a child who was paid just €1.50 by Islamic extremists to carry out highly-dangerous task

The Naval Service is so under-resourced that there are fears it won’t be able to combat maritime drug shipments while at the same time adequately patrolling EU fishery waters post-Brexit.

Intelligence gathered by foreign security services on returned Islamic State supporter Lisa Smith is a key part of evidence being put to the Dundalk woman in questioning.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has confirmed that former ISIS bride Lisa Smith is returning to Ireland this weekend and that gardai may be in a position to charge her.

The 38-year-old Dundalk woman travelled to Syria in 2016 to join the so-called Islamic State group.

Irish Islamic State supporter Lisa Smith and her daughter may not arrive back home until next week as Irish officials in Turkey conduct checks to confirm their identities, particularly that of her two-year-old girl, the Irish Examiner understands.

Members of the elite Army Ranger Wing (ARW) have joined other special forces in the formation of what is designed to be a rapid reaction force which the EU could send to bring peace to a troubled spot.

The elite Army Ranger wing are not allowed to use flashing blue lights or sirens, even though they would likely be the first unit dispatched to deal with a serious threat to State security.

There seems no end to the trouble being caused to Fine Gael by what we might term, for the purposes of this column, the “little people”.

The association representing Defence Forces officers has given its backing to those organising a protest in Galway today aimed at highlighting poor pay and conditions being suffered by soldiers, sailors, and aircrews.

A lobby group fighting for better pay and conditions for the Defence Forces is considering mounting an assault on the Dáil — through the ballot box.

The Government is sending Ireland's elite troops to "one of the most dangerous places in the world" but is refusing to pay them increased allowances agreed by independent arbitration in 2010.

It is “baffling” that Defence Forces personnel are still being prescribed with anti-malarial drug Lariam, while the State faces dozens of personal injury claims due to alleged side effects of the medicine, the Dáil has heard.

The former head social worker for the Defence Forces has said he was ignored repeatedly when he warned Department of Defence officials about increasing poverty levels being endured by serving military personnel and their families.

The former deputy commander of the elite Irish special forces says the Minister with responsibility for Defence and his senior civil servants should resign because they are running the country's military into the ground.

Up to 50 sailors are sleeping onboard ships during their time off, because they can't afford soaring rents and there is not enough proper accommodation at the naval base in Cork.

The Irish secret service is not pumping more money into a ‘shaken-not-stirred, martini-swigging lifestyle’, even though its budget will be raised by 25% next year.

It could take the Army up to two hours to deploy specialist soldiers to Dublin in the event of a terrorist attack.

Bomb disposal teams, military vehicles, helicopters and armed personnel will all be involved in a massive training exercise in Dublin today.

A leading security expert says Ireland has become more exposed to an Islamic State-style terrorist attacks because of the failure of a government commitment made more than two years ago to double the strength of the country’s elite special forces.

The Irish Defence Forces are well ahead of their French counterparts when it comes to planning against terrorist hijacking of passenger ferries.

The biggest security operation ever seen in Ireland was swinging into place tonight ahead of next week's historic state visit by the Queen.

Two climbers stranded for nearly 24 hours in freezing conditions on Leinster’s highest mountain were found safe and are being airlifted to hospital this afternoon.

Two snowboarders missing for 21 hours in the Wicklow Mountains have been found by rescuers. The men were located just before 1pm at an area known as South Prison.

Some 2,700 tonnes of equipment, 100 vehicles and trailers and enough food and water for 400 people for four months will be shipped out to Chad by the Irish Defence Forces tonight.

Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea will today seek a definite date to deploy Irish troops to Chad when he visits the mission's headquarters in Paris.

DEFENCE Minister Willie O’Dea will meet military chiefs in Paris today ahead of theexpected deployment of Irish and international troops to Chad next week.

THE remaining 83 troops with the last Irish unit on peacekeeping duty in Liberia returned home last night.

An army officer who served Ireland in the Middle East and at the UN was today named as the new Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces.

Irish aid agency Concern today welcomed the appointment of a former Nobel Peace Prize winner as the new prime minister of East Timor.

THE Government is considering proposals to boost the strength of an elite army unit following a terrorist threat assessment.

The battle to modernise the Defence Forces will continue this year with the delivery of new armoured personnel carriers and training aircraft, its chief of staff is expected to say today.

A former Irish soldier accused of having ammunition and Semtex at a house in Limerick last year told the Special Criminal Court today that he was bringing duty free tobacco to a friend when gardai raided the house.