Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would be delighted to accept his invitation to visit Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel. It is somewhere I know well but I would benefit from coming in, sitting down and looking at what I know is the exciting master planning being done for that site. There is huge potential to do so much more. I will very much take the Deputy up on his invitation. I look forward to the visit with him.

My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that we have operational capability of the Defence Forces and that it is maintained at the level it is at, but that we go significantly beyond that so it is developed further. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government.

Equipment priorities for the Defence Forces are considered in the context of the established capacity development and this will be called the equipment development planning processes. This has been underpinned by significant increases in funding, with the last budget providing a record allocation of €1.35 billion for our defence sector, which is an increase of €100 million on the previous year.

A number of projects are currently being progressed under the Air Corps aircraft renewal and replacement programme. The delivery of a third Airbus C-295 aircraft, in military transport specification, is scheduled for this September. A contract was awarded in 2024 for a Dassault Falcon 6X multipurpose strategic reach aircraft, which is scheduled for delivery in December of this year. A contract was also awarded last year for the provision of four Airbus H145M light-utility multirole helicopters, with deliveries of those four Airbus helicopters due to begin in 2027. In addition to these procurements, further rotary wing capability will be the subject of a future procurement process beginning in the near term.

Projects under the Naval Service vessel renewal and replacement programmes are also being progressed. Two inshore patrol vessels purchased on a government-to-government basis from New Zealand, LÉ Aoibhinn and LÉ Gobnait, were commissioned into service in 2024. Other projects being progressed include planning for the potential procurement of a multirole vessel, the replacement of a secondary armament across the fleet, and enhanced sub-sea awareness capabilities. Further additions to the equipment development plan are also being kept under consideration.

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