Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Every year it is put to good use. That is the point I made in my reply. In 2023, it was put to good use. It was used elsewhere across the Vote. That happens all of the time.

We are down now to €9 million out of a budget that is close to €1 billion. We need to a sense of perspective here in all of this.

I discussed the appropriations-in-aid, which is receipts that come that cannot be used for other purposes. Those are the well-established rules.

The more important point is we have produced the implementation plan in respect of the Commission on the Defence Forces report, we have timelined all of the investments and the drawdown will be subject to proper procurement and proper value for money. That makes sense.

In many respects, we need not to be tied to this idea of the rigid demarcation line every 12 months. The key issue is: are we substantially increasing our capability over the next number of years in line with the Commission on the Defence Forces review? The answer is, "Yes, we are."

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