G2 ( Republic of Ireland ) G2 or G - 2 is the national intelligence agency of Republic of Ireland . It is the military intelligence branch of the Irish Defence Forces , and also helps protect Ireland ' s national security . G2 is used in several western and NATO forces to refer to the Intelligence and Security branch of the staff function . It is more commonly referred to in the Irish Defence Forces as the Defence Forces Directorate of Intelligence . The role of the Directorate is : Although a small service as regards permanent defence forces personnel , the majority of G2 members serve on full - time basis . G2 personnel regularly train , deploy and liaise with foreign intelligence , government and non - government agencies to share knowledge and best practice . This ensures they keep abreast of threats and are able to collate essential intelligence to further protect the state , the Defence Forces and its interests . The Defence Intelligence Section of the Directorate is staffed by commissioned and non - commissioned officer s . It is tasked with providing intelligence support to the Defence Forces . Staff actively monitor relevant political , economic , social and military situations to produce intelligence reports or strategic studies to support operations . The soldiers in this section can be found briefing all the way up to ministerial level . The National Security Intelligence Section deals with threats to the state and Defence Forces in general . These includes identifying , monitoring and assessing possible threats to the state and Irish national interests , be it by hostile intelligence services , criminal organisations or terrorist groups . Counter - intelligence is also part of the section ' s remit , in addition to providing counter - subversive , counter - sabotage , counter - terrorist and physical security advice . Training and selection . Individuals can apply to be selected for the Directorate of Intelligence and they must be NCOs or Officers to be considered for appointment . Unlike a number of military forces , the Irish Defence Forces actively include intelligence as part of NCO and Officer education , but those selected to join the Directorate receive further specialist training . The Defence Forces run their own Defence Intelligence & Security course . It is a combined course for NCOs and Officers . The course runs for 5 weeks and covers the main areas of intelligence operations including principles of intelligence operations , defence intelligence , intelligence analysis , and combat intelligence . The course is supported by additional " on the job " training as part of the Directorate . This includes additional communications , weapons and surveillance training to support ongoing operations . Further training in languages is also available , and specialist training on sensitive subjects such as religion , culture , ethnicity and radicalisation are also provided . Although a small service , the personnel are well respected and maintain a discreet profile . They continue to recruit some of the most able individuals within the Defence Forces from all backgrounds , and focus on the reliability , integrity , dedication and honesty of individuals to achieve the best results .