Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for this important question. I want him, the men and women of Óglaigh na hÉireann and the people of Ireland to know that as Minister for Defence, I am deeply committed to the transformation of the Defence Forces into a modern, fit-for-purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges of today and the future.

Across Europe, all countries including Ireland, are experiencing an increasingly contested, dynamic and volatile international security environment. There is a need for us to be seen to take our own security responsibilities seriously and we have seen significant increases in our defence spending in the past few years in response to that, which has allowed us to procure much-needed capabilities. The Government has set out a future pathway to continue these expenditure increases.

The Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment in the programme for Government of 2020. The commission's report, as the Deputy knows, was published on 9 February 2022. There were 69 main recommendations and, with sub-recommendations, there were 130 recommendations in total. The report recommended significant changes for the Defence Forces and for defence provision in Ireland. It covered high-level Defence Forces structures, defence capabilities, organisation, culture and human resources, the Reserve Defence Force and funding.

Given the significant recommendations contained in the report, detailed consideration of these recommendations was undertaken. A high-level action plan and a memorandum for Government were produced and approved on 12 July 2022. This involved the approval of a move to level of ambition 2, LOA2, by 2028, as set out in the capability framework devised by the commission. The move to LOA2 is due to be completed by 2028. This will result in the defence budget rising from €1.1 billion to €1.5 billion, in 2022 prices, by 2028, as part of the annual Estimates processes. We need to go beyond LOA2 and the programme for Government is clear on that. I have been clear since taking up this role that we need to get to LOA2.

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